Stewart batted cleanup and went 3-for-4 with two doubles in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Red Sox.

Reds manager Terry Francona began experimenting with Stewart batting fourth followed by Eugenio Suarez late in spring training and stuck with it for Opening Day against Boston left-hander Garrett Crochet. The 22-year-old Stewart collected three of the four hits Boston's ace would allow, and Stewart managed to stay in the game after taking a Roman Anthony line drive off the hand while playing the field. Stewart slashed .327/450/.592 during spring training with four doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI across 20 games and will be the Reds' mainstay at first base and part of the rotation at DH, but he could also be an option at second or third base.

Young has won a spot on the Mets' Opening Day roster, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 30-year-old didn't do much in camp to earn the job, batting .150 (3-for-20) with a home run and a 4:5 BB:K, but a late-spring knee injury for Mike Tauchman might have given Young a reprieve. He'll provide a bit of left-handed power off the bench, but playing time could be hard to come by with Brett Baty apparently ahead of Young in the pecking order at DH and the corner infield and outfield spots.

The Padres selected France to the major-league roster Wednesday.

As expected, France is a member of the Padres' Opening Day roster after Sung-Mun Song (oblique) was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. France put together a strong spring training across 19 Cactus League outings, finishing with a .306/.352/.510 slash line with two home runs and 12 RBI in 54 plate appearances. He should see occasional playing time as a utility man as long as Song is out of action.

The Rockies placed Crim (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Crim sustained an oblique strain in February and isn't ready for the start of the regular season. The 28-year-old was cleared for baseball activities last week and is likely at least a week or two away from a rehab assignment.

Freeman is expected to bat fifth against left-handed starters at the outset of the regular season, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Freeman's spot in the lineup was already slated for a change against righties, as he's been tabbed for the cleanup role against such starters after primarily hitting third in the order versus right-handers last year. Now it appears Freeman will bump down to fifth against southpaws, while catcher Will Smith is slated to bat fourth in those games. The fantasy impact on Freeman's production will probably be minimal, and there should be no shortage of opportunities for run production given Los Angeles' loaded lineup.

Olson went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

The slugging first baseman took Carson Fulmer deep in the first inning before clobbering a Mike Clevinger fastball in the sixth. Olson appears more than ready for Opening Day, slashing .333/.373/.750 in 16 spring games with six homers.

The Reds selected Lowe's contract from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

The move corresponds with the Reds placing right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) on the 60-day injured list. Lowe signed a minor-league contract with Cincinnati in mid-February and made a strong case for a spot on the Opening Day roster across his 17 Cactus League games, when he slashed .268/.362/.585 with three home runs and eight RBI in 47 plate appearances. Lowe gives the Reds another left-handed bat and depth at first base behind Sal Stewart.

Stewart is projected by MLB.com to start at first base and bat cleanup against lefty Garrett Crochet and the Red Sox on Opening Day.

The 22-year-old has put together an impressive spring with a 1.066 OPS, three homers and four steals across 54 Cactus League plate appearances. With that, Stewart has been moving up manager Terry Francona's batting order, seeing time in the cleanup spot against both lefties and righties over the final week of exhibition play. It remains to be seen if it will stick, as Stewart's strikeout rate shot up 10 percentage points in his first cup of coffee in the majors last season, but the Reds clearly think he's ready to make a difference as a slugging first baseman in the heart of the lineup.

Eldridge went 2-for-3 with a home run and a double in Triple-A Sacramento's 2-1 exhibition win over the Giants on Sunday.

After being left off San Francisco's Opening Day roster, Eldridge looked sharp in Sunday's tune-up game. The 21-year-old hit a 444-foot home run to center field in the fourth and added a double in the seventh. He'll begin the 2026 campaign in the minors to get more reps at first base and continue working on his plate discipline, but he's likely to earn a call-up at some point this season. Over 19 Cactus League games this spring, Eldridge slashed .225/.380/.450 with eight runs scored, six RBI, one home run and a 9:19 BB:K across 50 plate appearances.

Lowe has made the Reds' Opening Day roster in a reserve role, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Lowe has made a strong case for a roster spot this spring, slashing .270/.357/.622 with three home runs, four doubles and eight RBI through 15 games. Though the veteran infielder will break camp with the big-league club, his fantasy value will likely be limited since the Reds are intending to use him in a bench role. Lowe signed with Cincinnati on a minor-league contract in mid-February, so he'll still need to be added to the 40-man roster ahead of Opening Day.