MLB Player News

Lowe went 2-for-6 with a double, four RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 14-10 loss to the Royals.

Lowe, acquired from Tampa Bay in the offseason to be Texas' starting first baseman, fought off a challenge from Ronald Guzman in spring training. Rangers manager Chris Woodward stood by Lowe, who batted a mere .205 and struck out 15 times in 44 at-bats, and the manager's faith was rewarded Opening Day. Lowe slotted in fifth in the batting order, a potentially good spot for RBI opportunities.

Santana went 1-for-3 with three walks and two runs scored in Thursday's 14-10 win over the Rangers.

There was no shortage of offense Thursday, and Santana did his part to keep the line moving. He scored on a Kyle Isbel single in the first inning and a Hunter Dozier fielder's choice in the seventh. Santana also added an RBI single in the third. The 34-year-old first baseman is known for having a good batting eye -- he posted a .349 on-base percentage in 255 plate appearances last season despite a batting average of just .199. There's still some power in his bat, too, so fantasy managers who can cover his drag on average could benefit from utilizing Santana. He hit third in Thursday's game and figures to remain in the heart of the order for most of the year.

Santana will start at first base and bat third in Thursday's season opener versus the Rangers.

Adalberto Mondesi initially looked on track to begin the season as the Royals' No. 3 hitter, but his placement on the injured list Wednesday due to an oblique strain has opened the door for Santana to slot in between Andrew Benintendi and Salvador Perez in the batting order. After signing a two-year, $17.5 million deal with Kansas City over the winter, the 34-year-old turned in a productive spring, posting a .949 OPS while drawing 11 walks against nine strikeouts.

Dalbec and the Red Sox won't play the Orioles on Thursday after their Opening Day game was postponed due to rain, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The two teams are now scheduled to play their season opener Friday, which was initially set to be an off day for both sides.

Vaughn won't start Opening Day against the Angels on Thursday with Leury Garcia working in left field and Zack Collins batting eighth as the designated hitter, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The White Sox recently announced the 22-year-old made the team's Opening Day roster, so it's a bit of a surprise the organization's top prospect won't be in the lineup Opening Day. Vaughn is expected to be in the starting nine as the designated hitter Friday with southpaw Andrew Heaney pitching for the Angels. Vaughn saw more work in left field during spring training and could see time there this season with Eloy Jimenez (pectoral) set to miss most of 2021.

Voit (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, retroactive to March 29.

The 30-year-old underwent surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus Monday, so it was only a matter of time before he landed on the shelf. Voit doesn't have an officially timeline for his return, but he'll likely be sidelined from baseball activities for a few weeks. He shouldn't be expected to make his season debut in April.

Voit confirmed that he underwent surgery Monday to repair a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

Reports surfaced over the weekend indicating that Voit would require surgery, but it wasn't immediately clear when the procedure would be completed. Now that Voit has officially had surgery, he'll likely be in recovery mode for at least three weeks before resuming baseball activities. Voit said he hasn't been given a target date to return to game action, though he said he expects to be back "pretty soon." For now, fantasy managers are probably best off ruling him out for all of April.

White went 5-for-11 with a double, a home run, four RBI, two walks, a stolen base and three runs over his five final Cactus League games.

White put together a couple of distinct hot streaks during the exhibition slate, helping him to an impressive 16 RBI over 19 games. The slugging first baseman's ability to overcome an abysmal start to Cactus League play certainly offers some encouragement, as does the fact that he struck out a modest 10 times across 54 plate appearances after doing so at a 41.6 percent rate as a rookie in 2020.

The White Sox will select Vaughn's contract and include him on the Opening Day roster, as expected, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Rather than playing service-time games with Vaughn by stashing him at the alternate training site for the first few weeks of the season, the White Sox will add the 22-year-old prospect to the roster to ensure it has the best lineup possible heading into Opening Day. With Eloy Jimenez expected to miss most of the season with a pectoral injury, Vaughn has been given more work in left field late in spring training, despite the fact that he's spent the entirety of his professional career at first base. If the White Sox aren't comfortable using Vaughn in the outfield on an everyday basis, he'll still have a path to a regular lineup spot at designated hitter.

The Royals optioned O'Hearn to their alternate training site Tuesday.

Since Carlos Santana and Jorge Soler are expected to handle everyday roles at first base and designated hitter, respectively, O'Hearn offers limited value to the Royals as a first baseman with no positional flexibility. He'll continue to play regularly in simulated games at the alternate site before reporting to Triple-A Omaha in May for the start of the minor-league season.