MLB Player News

Butler is not in the Athletics' starting lineup against the Blue Jays on Saturday.

Butler will open Saturday's game in the dugout while the Athletics roll with Tyler Soderstrom, Denzel Clarke and Carlos Cortes in the outfield from left to right. Butler went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Friday's 3-2 loss to Toronto, and he should continue to have scheduled rest days while recovering from offseason surgery on both of his knees.

DeGrom has been scratched from his scheduled start against the Phillies on Saturday due to neck stiffness, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

DeGrom was slowly brought on during spring training and was cleared to make his 2026 debut Saturday, but the veteran right-hander has suffered a setback, which will result in Jacob Latz taking the mound for the Rangers instead. Per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, the Rangers believe that deGrom's neck issue is not a serious one and that he could start later on in the road trip. Per Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com, deGrom is tentatively slated to start Tuesday against Baltimore.

Clement went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in Friday's win over the A's.

It was a strong start to the season for the 30-year-old infielder, who's expected to be Toronto's everyday second baseman now that Andres Gimenez is sliding over to shortstop to replace Bo Bichette. Clement posted a respectable .277/.313/.398 slash line in 2025 with nine homers and six steals in 157 regular-season games while bouncing all around the infield, but having a stable defensive home could allow him to find another level at the plate.

Williamson is not in Tampa Bay's starting lineup against St. Louis on Saturday.

Williamson is coming off a strong performance against the Cardinals on Thursday, when he went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He'll be on the bench to open Saturday's game while Richie Palacios starts at second base and bats eighth.

Fortes is not in the Rays' starting lineup against the Cardinals on Saturday.

Fortes got the start on Opening Day against St. Louis on Thursday, when he went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He'll be on the bench for the beginning of Saturday's game, with Hunter Feduccia handling backstop duties and batting ninth while forming a battery with right-hander Joe Boyle.

Barger is not in the Blue Jays' starting lineup against the Athletics on Saturday.

With left-hander Jeffrey Springs taking the mound for the Athletics on Saturday, Barger will open the contest in the dugout while the Blue Jays go with Davis Schneider, Daulton Varsho and Myles Straw in the outfield from left to right. Barger went 0-for-4 with a strikeout on Opening Day on Friday.

Pena went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 6-2 loss to the Angels.

After being held out Opening Day, Pena made his season debut hitting leadoff and set the table very effectively. The shortstop missed most of spring training and a chance to play for the Dominican Republic during the WBC, as a result of a fractured fingertip he sustained in early March, but Pena recovered in time to avoid a stint on the IL and appears to be fully healthy.

Burrows (0-1) took the loss Friday, coughing up five runs on nine hits and two walks over 5.2 innings as the Astros fell 6-2 to the Angels. He struck out six.

Home runs by Josh Lowe in the second inning and Mike Trout in the fifth accounted for most of the damage off Burrows, who tossed 94 pitches (59 strikes) before getting lifted. It was an inauspicious Houston debut for the right-hander, who was acquired from Pittsburgh over the winter, but his workload was at least encouraging after Burrows worked 126 innings over 23 appearances (19 starts) between Triple-A and the majors in 2025. He'll look to bounce back in his next start, which lines up to come at home versus the Red Sox next week.

Kahnle remained in Florida to build up for the regular season in a more controlled environment, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Kahnle was a late addition to Boston's training camp, signing just seven days before the regular-season opener, and failed to secure a roster spot before the Red Sox headed north. He will eventually go to Triple-A Worcester, but he is listed as on the "development list," meaning he's not yet on the WooSox's active roster. Kahnle is locked into his deal through at least May 1, when an upward-mobility clause kicks in that allows him to pursue other opportunities. If he pitches well at Triple-A, Kahnle is expected to be part of Boston's bullpen before then.

Romano struck out two in a perfect ninth inning during Friday's 6-2 win over the Astros.

While it wasn't a save situation, Romano was nearly back in the form he displayed as the Blue Jays' closer a few years ago, topping out at 95.7 mph with his fastball and fanning Joey Loperfido and Yordan Alvarez to secure the win. The right-hander has worked back-to-back days to begin the season, posting a 3:1 K:BB over two scoreless frames with one save, and he appears to be the clear top high-leverage option for manager Kurt Suzuki, at least until Kirby Yates (knee) is healthy. Romano likely won't be available Saturday if the Angels have another late lead to protect, however.