MLB Player News

The Blue Jays placed Varsho (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

Varsho produced a .994 OPS over 37 plate appearances as a designated hitter in spring training, but because much of his value is derived from his defense, the Blue Jays will stash him on the IL to begin the season while he waits to gain clearance to play center field. Though he's still on the mend from September surgery on his right shoulder, Varsho recently increased his throwing distance to 120 feet, so he may not need much time to complete his throwing progression before making his 2025 debut. His IL placement is retroactive to Monday, so he'll be eligible to debut as soon as April 4.

Garcia is absent from the lineup for Thursday's opener against the Guardians.

The Royals have Vinnie Pasquantino at designated hitter as he protects a hamstring injury, and the domino effect has Michael Massey at second base, Jonathan India at third base and Garcia on the bench. Garcia should be in the lineup most days once Pasquantino is healthy, but he'll be the odd man out Opening Day.

Pasquantino (hamstring) will start at designated hitter and bat third in Thursday's season opener versus the Guardians.

Pasquantino suffered a Grade 1-plus right hamstring strain just five days ago, but he made enough improvement that the Royals are comfortable with him at least playing in a non-defensive role on Opening Day. Cavan Biggio will occupy Pasquantino's usual position at first base.

The Blue Jays selected Straw's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

After being acquired from the Guardians in January, Straw was able to secure a spot on the Opening Day roster as a reserve outfielder due to Daulton Varsho needing more time to recover from shoulder surgery. Straw is unlikely to see extensive action with Toronto, and he could be at risk of being booted off the 40-man roster once Varsho is activated from the 10-day injured list.

The Blue Jays selected Barnes' contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Despite attending camp as a non-roster invitee and posting a 6.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 6:3 K:BB over 5.1 innings in the Grapefruit League, Barnes was able to win a spot in the Blue Jays' Opening Day bullpen. He'll likely be ticketed for lower-leverage work.

The Blue Jays selected Roden's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Roden will start in right field and bat ninth in Thursday's opener against the Orioles. The Blue Jays are going with an outfield of Anthony Santander, George Springer and Roden on Opening Day. Though Roden may be in line for regular playing time versus right-handed pitching to begin the season, he could be at risk of losing out on starts once Daulton Varsho (shoulder) is ready to return from the injured list.

Bader will start in left field and bat ninth in Thursday's season opener versus the Cardinals.

Bader appeared ticketed for fourth-outfielder duties with the Twins heading into spring training, but he seems to be a beneficiary of the injuries to infielders Royce Lewis (hamstring) and Brooks Lee (back). With Lewis and Lee on the injured list, Jose Miranda is expected to see the majority of the starts at third base to begin the season, making corner outfielders Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner candidates to see more time at designated hitter and thereby opening up a spot in the outfield for Bader. The 30-year-old brings most of his real-life value as a defender, but he proved to be a decent fantasy asset in 2024 despite often hitting at the bottom of the Mets' batting order. In 143 games last season, Bader totaled 12 home runs, 17 steals, 57 runs and 51 RBI.

Julien is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game in St. Louis, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

The Cardinals are starting a righty in Sonny Gray, but the left-handed hitting Julien finds himself on the bench for the opener. The Twins are going with Willi Castro at second base, Trevor Larnach in the designated-hitter spot and Harrison Bader in left field.

The Twins don't include Misiewicz on their 26-man active roster ahead of Thursday's season opener versus the Cardinals.

The 30-year-old southpaw is expected to report to Triple-A St. Paul after falling short in his bid for a spot on the Twins' Opening Day roster. Misiewicz has previously made 131 appearances in the big leagues over the past five seasons across stints with the Mariners, Royals, Diamondbacks, Tigers and Yankees, logging a 4.67 ERA in 115.2 innings.

The Twins didn't include Ford on their 26-man active roster ahead of Thursday's season opener versus the Cardinals.

While attending camp as a non-roster invitee, Ford faced long odds to win a spot on the Opening Day roster, and he didn't do himself any favors by going 4-for-32 (.125 average) during Grapefruit League play. Assuming his minor-league contract doesn't contain an opt-out clause that would allow him to pursue free agency, the 32-year-old first baseman will likely report to Triple-A St. Paul to begin the season.