MLB Player News

Cruz is batting leadoff for the Pirates in their season opener Thursday against the Reds.

Cruz jumped up into the leadoff spot down the stretch in 2022, and he can hopefully latch onto that role throughout the entire 2023 campaign. The dynamic 24-year-old shortstop has tallied 18 home runs and 10 stolen bases across his first 89 major-league games.

The Yankees selected Volpe's contract and added him to the active roster ahead of Thursday's season opener versus the Giants. He'll start at shortstop and bat ninth in the Opening Day game.

The team confirmed over the weekend that Volpe would break camp with the big club, but the transaction wasn't made official until shortly before the season opener. The 21-year-old Volpe pushed his way on the roster after posting a 1.033 OPS with three home runs and five stolen bases in 19 Grapefruit League games. Despite the strong showing in Florida, Volpe will still have to earn his way up the batting order by continuing to turn in productive at-bats during the early weeks of the regular season.

DeJong (back) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to March 27.

DeJong is expected to miss the first handful of weeks of the 2023 regular season after suffering a lower-back injury in mid-March. He'll probably be a bench player even when he does return to the Cardinals' active roster.

Adrianza had his contract selected by Atlanta on Thursday.

The 33-year-old earned a spot on Atlanta's Opening Day roster and has now officially been added to the 26-man and 40-man rosters. Adrianza will fill a utility role and begins the season as the primary backup option at second base, shortstop and third base.

Franco is starting at shortstop and batting second for the Rays in Thursday's opener against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco recently required an MRI for soreness in his right quad, but the imaging came back clean and he's ready to roll for Opening Day. The young switch hitter and his teammates will be going up against Detroit lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.

The Red Sox placed Mondesi (knee) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

As a result of the transaction, Mondesi will come off the 40-man roster and won't be eligible to make his Boston debut until at least late May. The Red Sox have been vague about a potential timetable for Mondesi to resume playing while he continues his recovery from the ACL tear he suffered last year. He'll be in the mix at second base once healthy, but for now, Christian Arroyo will hold down the keystone.

Arcia agreed Thursday with Atlanta on a three-year, $7.3 million contract extension with a $2 million club option for 2026, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Arcia was named Atlanta's starting shortstop last week and now has a new deal. He had been under contract for $1.3 million in 2023 with a $2 million club option for 2024, but the extension wipes those years out and adds on potentially two more. Arcia might ultimately just be keeping the shortstop seat warm for Vaughn Grissom or Braden Shewmake, but he has the versatility to bounce around and transition to a utility role.

DeJong (back) took some swings and fielded light grounders off a pitching machine in Florida on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

DeJong is slowly ramping things back up after he had a setback with his back last week. He'll begin the season on the injured list and seems likely a good bet to be sidelined for a handful of weeks.

Pena saw action in 11 Grapefruit League games and compiled a .324/.361/.706 slash line with three home runs and a stolen base.

Fresh off a brilliant rookie season that he capped off with MVP honors in the ALCS and World Series, Pena already looks dialed in at the dish as he prepares to kick off his second big-league season Thursday versus the White Sox. Though manager Dusty Baker suggested earlier in spring training that Pena would slot further down in the lineup in 2023 than he did as a rookie, the 25-year-old shortstop now appears likely to open the upcoming campaign as Houston's leadoff or No. 2 hitter, with Jose Altuve (thumb) Michael Brantley (shoulder) ticketed for the injured list.

Duran started in left field and went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk in Tuesday's spring game against the Royals.

Duran raked during the spring, posting a .357/.390/.714 line over 26 games. That alone should cement his roster spot, but manager Bruce Bochy told Dave Sessions of MLB.com that Duran's most intriguing trait has been defensive versatility. In addition to 58 innings at third base and 27 at shortstop, Duran played 28.2 innings in left field. "If you look at who may have been a surprise in Spring Training, he would be right there at the top," Bochy said. "How well he's handled everything -- every position I've put him at, including shortstop and the outfield." The Rangers suddenly find themselves in need of outfield depth with Leody Taveras (oblique) expected to land on the injured list.