MLB Player News

Manager Matt Quatraro informed Loftin that he made the Royals' Opening Day roster, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports Saturday.

Loftin will provide cover all around the infield. His best chance for playing time early in the season is at second base, as Michael Massey (back) is set to begin the season on the injured list. Loftin provides a right-handed bench bat for the Royals, so he shouldn't be expected to see more than a short-side platoon role initially. Loftin has hit .325 over 16 Cactus League games, displaying his solid contact-hitting skills.

Mancini opted out of his minor-league contract with the Marlins on Saturday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Mancini's decision suggests he was not going to make Miami's Opening Day roster, so he will now try his luck on the open market. Mancini slashed .234/.299/.336 with 28 RBI across 261 plate appearances with the Cubs last season and may still be able to find a big-league opportunity with a team in search of 1B/OF depth.

Schanuel (back) is starting in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Athletics, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Schanuel has been out of action since Monday due to back tightness, but the issue appears to have subsided ahead of Saturday's contest. Schanuel is 10-for-41 this spring with a homer and four RBI, and he should be ready to start at first base on Opening Day now that his back issues are seemingly behind him.

The Mets informed Voit on Saturday that he won't make the team's Opening Day roster, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Voit joined the Mets on a minor-league contract Feb. 19. He struggled in camp, striking out 12 times while slashing .100/.222/.200 with one home run and three RBI over 36 plate appearances.

The Cardinals optioned Young to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.

Young has slashed .210/.290/.435 across 69 plate appearances in his MLB career, but a .353 OPS during spring training will send him back to the minors for the start of the season. Young found plenty of success with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate last season, and a return to form at the plate could help him reach the majors again during his first season with the Cardinals.

The Cardinals optioned Rivas to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.

Rivas only managed seven hits in 36 at-bats during his first spring with the Cards while driving in three RBI and scoring six runs. The 27-year-old also only carried a .229 batting average across 48 major-league games last season, but his average jumped up to .332 over 58 games in Triple-A.

The Cubs informed Cooper on Friday that he made the team's Opening Day roster, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

Cooper was brought into the Cubs' camp as a non-roster invitee, and he will claim a spot on the roster after going 6-for-26 with two home runs and five RBI across 10 games. He'll likely serve as the primary backup to Michael Busch at first base but could find himself in the lineup regularly against left-handed starters.

The Cubs released Smith on Friday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Smith exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract after being told he would not be part of the Opening Day roster. The 28-year-old posted a .909 OPS with one home run this spring. Smith could latch on with another club seeking first base depth.

Rizzo (lat) said Friday that he's "fully confident" he'll be ready for Opening Day, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Rizzo was a late scratch from Friday's lineup with some lat tightness, which is something he said he deals with from time to time. However, the scratch was made out of an abundance of caution and he's expected to be fine when the games begin to count. Fantasy managers who draft this weekend shouldn't have trepidation about rostering Rizzo.

Cron opted out of his minor-league contract with the Red Sox on Friday, giving the organization two days to add him to the big-league roster or release him, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Cron played in just five big-league games after signing with Boston as a non-roster invitee March 1, and he went 2-for-11 with three walks. The veteran slugger's .729 OPS in 71 games between the Rockies and Angels last season was the first time his OPS was below .780 since 2017.