MLB Player News

Clemens will start at first base and bat leadoff in Sunday's game against the Orioles, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

After taking a seat against lefty Trevor Rogers in Thursday's season opener, Clemens has now handled the leadoff role in two straight contests against righties. At least for the early part of the season, Clemens looks set to occupy the strong side of a platoon at first base, with Victor Caratini having received the nod at the position in the Twins' lone matchup with a lefty thus far.

Manzardo started a first base and went 1-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Mariners.

Manzardo served as the designated hitter for the first two games of the season before finally getting a chance to play some defense. The Guardians initially planned to give him more starts at first base this season, but for now he's sharing the position with Rhys Hoskins. Manzardo is 2-for-13 with eight strikeouts through three contests.

Murakami went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Saturday against the Brewers.

Murakami has kicked off his MLB career in style, homering in both of his first two starts. He led off the fourth inning with a home run Saturday, which came after he worked a walk in his initial plate appearance. While it's a small sample, Murakami has struck out only once in eight plate appearances.

Schanuel went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 11-9 loss to Houston.

It was already the second homer of the young season for Schanuel, who gave the Angels some temporary life in the ninth inning. The 24-year-old had belted 24 long balls over the course of his prior three years in the major leagues (308 games), but he's tapping into his power stroke early in 2026 and should consistently occupy a premium spot in the Halos' lineup throughout the campaign.

Hoskins isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Seattle.

Hoskins will get a chance to catch his breath after going 3-for-6 with a run scored and a pair of walks over the first two games of the season. His absence will put Kyle Manzardo at first base and open a spot in the lineup for Angel Martinez to start in left field.

Manzardo started as the designated hitter and went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Mariners.

Manzardo has been stuck at DH the first two games of the season, with both starts coming against right-handed pitchers. The right-handed-hitting Rhys Hoskins started at first in both games. There was some thought that Manzardo would see more time at first base this season with Carlos Santana no longer on the team, but those plans apparently changed when the Guardians signed Hoskins after spring training started.

Rice is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.

After going 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored Wednesday, Rice will take a seat Friday afternoon against southpaw Robbie Ray. Paul Goldschmidt will draw the start at first base.

Caglianone isn't part of the starting lineup for Friday's game against Atlanta.

The lefty-hitting Caglianone will dodge a matchup with Chris Sale on Friday, allowing Starling Marte to draw the start in right field. Caglianone and Marte are expected to platoon to begin the season, but Caglianone could earn looks against left-handed pitching with a strong start.

Aranda went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional RBI in Thursday's 9-7 loss to the Cardinals.

The left-handed-hitting Aranda managed to take southpaw Matthew Liberatore yard for his first long ball of the season. The first baseman hit third in his season debut, which should help his fantasy upside while occupying a premium lineup spot. Aranda was a strong four-category producer when available for the Rays in 2025, batting .316 with 14 homers, 59 RBI and 56 runs scored over 370 regular-season at-bats (106 games).

Murakami went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in Thursday's 14-2 loss against the Brewers.

Murakami made a great impression in his big-league debut, reaching base three times and launching a 384-foot solo shot to lead off the ninth inning for his first career MLB home run. The 26-year-old also showed strong plate discipline, drawing two walks in the contest and looking comfortable at the plate on a day when Brewers pitchers recorded 20 strikeouts. The homer, which he pulled into the right-field corner, offered an early glimpse of the power that Murakami showcased in Japan, where he hit 246 home runs across eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball.