MLB Player News

O'Neill will start in right field and bat sixth in Thursday's opener versus the Twins.

It's righty Joe Ryan on the bump for the Twins, but the right-handed-hitting O'Neill will nonetheless get the call in right field as he attempts to extend his major-league record Opening Day home run streak to seven. Dylan Beavers has been battling a knee/quad injury recently, which also could have played into Orioles manager Craig Albernaz's decision to start O'Neill. The two players are expected to share the right-field job this season.

Ward will start in left field and bat leadoff in Thursday's opener against the Twins.

Jackson Holliday (hand) is likely to bat leadoff when he returns to action, but it will be Ward at the top of the batting order on Opening Day as the Twins send righty Joe Ryan to the hill. Ward sported a .425 on-base percentage for the Orioles during spring training, logging more walks (eight) than strikeouts (seven).

Beavers is not in the lineup for Thursday's opener against the Twins.

Beavers managed to avoid the injured list after being sidelined for the past week with tightness in his right knee and quadriceps. However, the left-handed batter is not in the lineup Opening Day versus righty Joe Ryan, as Orioles manager Craig Albernaz is going with righty bat Tyler O'Neill. It's not a surprise, as Beavers could be a bit rusty and O'Neill also has a major-league record six-game Opening Day home run streak on the line. Beavers and O'Neill are expected to share right field for Baltimore this season rather than operate in a strict platoon.

The White Sox placed Bush (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Feb. 10.

Chicago made the transaction prior to the start of spring training, when the team needed to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. On the mend from February 2025 Tommy John surgery, Bush was able to throw multiple bullpen sessions during spring training, and he could be cleared to start facing hitters within the next few weeks, per James Fegan of SoxMachine.com. Bush will be shelved for at least the first two months of the season while he works his way through the rehab process.

Holliday (hand) is set to begin a rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A Norfolk.

Holliday didn't see any game action in spring training after undergoing surgery Feb. 12 to remove the fractured hook of the hamate bone in his right hand, but he resumed taking batting practice before the end of camp and was spotted taking part in fielding drills at Camden Yards on Wednesday, per Jake Rill of MLB.com. The 22-year-old evidently checked out fine following Wednesday's workout and is expected to be in the lineup when Norfolk opens its season Friday. Holliday will be eligible to return from the 10-day injured list next Wednesday, but because he missed all of spring training, the Orioles may want to keep him on assignment with Norfolk for a longer period prior to activating him. Until Holliday is deemed ready to rejoin the big club, the Orioles will likely turn to Blaze Alexander and Jeremiah Jackson to handle most of the reps at the keystone.

Castillo is slated to make his first start during the Mariners' fifth game of the season Monday versus the Yankees at T-Mobile Park, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Emerson Hancock is the Mariners' de facto fifth starter while stepping into the rotation in place of the injured Bryce Miller (oblique), but he'll end up taking the hill for Seattle's fourth game Sunday versus Cleveland while Castillo moves to the back of the schedule. The rotation setup is likely just a means to get Castillo some extra rest after he started the Mariners' spring training finale Monday in San Diego. Castillo covered five innings and tossed 76 pitches in that outing, so he should be ready to handle a relatively normal workload in his 2026 debut.

Chisholm went 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 7-0 win over the Giants.

Chisholm's steal came after he got aboard on a fielder's choice in the fifth inning. The 28-year-old opens the season as the Yankees' starting second baseman, and he should be a good source of speed. He's logged 71 steals over the last two years combined and has topped 20 thefts in four of the past five seasons. Chisholm also had the second-highest OPS of his career (.813) in 2025 while supplying career-best marks in home runs (31), RBI (80) and runs scored (75) over 130 regular-season contests.

Fried (1-0) allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four over 6.1 shutout innings to earn the win over the Giants on Wednesday.

The Yankees' second-inning surge on offense was more than enough help for Fried, who looked sharp in the season opener. The southpaw had a 4.40 ERA over 14.1 innings during spring training, but he got on track for the first game that counts. Fried was strong in 2025 with a 2.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 189:51 K:BB over 195.1 innings across 32 regular-season starts and should be the clear ace in the Yankees' rotation until Gerrit Cole (elbow) is able to make his season debut. Fried is tentatively projected to make his second start of the season in Seattle next week, which would be the first of a two-start week as the Yankees are projected to use a four-man rotation to begin the year.

Sands will have a prominent role in high-leverage situations in the Minnesota bullpen, but manager Derek Shelton said he'll figure out who will close games as the season progresses, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. "It's going to be a little bit of a meritocracy. Guys are going to pitch themselves in or out of certain roles. We have to monitor that as the season starts," said Shelton.

The Twins closer situation remains a mystery even after spring training has concluded, but Sands may get the first chance to close games as the most prominent right-handed pitcher in the bullpen. However, Taylor Rogers and Justin Topa will likely also figure into the mix.

After an underwhelming spring training, Keith may end up splitting time at third base with several other players, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Keith sported a .662 OPS and no home runs across 17 Grapefruit League games. His middling results, along with a deep Detroit roster that features Zach McKinstry and Matt Vierling as primary options at the hot corner, could force Keith into something of a timeshare. Top prospect Kevin McGonigle is on the roster as well and is expected to see most of his time at shortstop, though he could also slide over to third on days when Javier Baez plays up the middle. Either way, Keith will likely need to produce at the plate if he wants to hold onto regular playing time.