MLB Player News

Semien went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a shutout win over the Angels on Thursday.

Semien's 394-foot shot to center off Trevor Cahill extended the Athletics' lead to 3-0, and the shortstop's season-opening hitting streak to three games. The 28-year-old ceded the leadoff spot to Robbie Grossman on Thursday, but manager Bob Melvin is likely to rotate Semien into the top of the order fairly frequently over the course of the season.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Thursday's 12-4 loss to the Cubs.

Andrus hit safely in his first three at-bats and picked up where he left off in spring training during which he batted .432. The Rangers' three-hole hitter is healthy after an elbow injury cost him two months and sapped his power stroke in 2018.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a home run and double Thursday against the Rays.

Altuve went hitless in his first two at-bats, but got things going with a solo home run in the fifth inning. He followed that up with a leadoff double in the eighth frame, but was ultimately stranded there. It's an encouraging start to the season for Altuve, who was hampered in the second half of the 2018 season with a knee injury that required offseason surgery.

Barreto was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday.

Barreto looked to have made the team even after the Japan Series (he did not record an at-bat) until the Kendrys Morales deal Monday. Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, the deal pushed him down the pecking order. Barreto hit .351 in Cactus League play with a .429 on-base percentage, so if he keeps up the good work he'll remain one of the top guys on the callup list.

Drury will start at third base and bat leadoff in Thursday's game against the Tigers.

After slashing .315/.373/.574 in spring training, Drury will be rewarded for his performance with a spot atop the lineup to begin the season. The assignment won't come with much job security, however, so Drury may need to get off to a hot start in order to avoid dropping down in the lineup. While the leadoff duties should provide a temporary boost to Drury's fantasy stock, his season-long outlook is still somewhat hazy given the expectation that top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (oblique) will eventually settle in as the Jays' everyday third baseman.

Polanco (arm) will start at shortstop and bat second Thursday in the Twins' season opener against the Indians, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Polanco dealt with arm fatigue in the latter stages of camp but will get the green light to enter the Opening Day lineup after experiencing no setbacks coming out of a minor-league game Tuesday. It's possible the Twins may give him an extra off-day or two early in the season for precautionary reasons, but the 25-year-old should still be expected to handle the overwhelming majority of starts at shortstop.

The Rangers selected Forsythe's contract Thursday and will include him on the Opening Day roster.

Forsythe was one of three non-roster invitees to break camp with the Rangers, joining reliever Jeanmar Gomez and outfielder Hunter Pence. The 32-year-old is projected to serve as a utility infielder for Texas this season.

Torres will start at shortstop and hit eighth Thursday in the Yankees' season opener against the Orioles.

The low placement in the batting order isn't ideal for Torres, but in a New York lineup packed with talent from top to bottom, it certainly won't be a death blow to the youngster's fantasy value. While occupying a spot in the bottom half of the order for most of his rookie season, Torres still managed 77 RBI and 54 runs in 123 games.

Lowe will serve as the Rays' designated hitter and bat out of the cleanup spot in Thursday's Opening Day game against the Astros, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe's role was somewhat uncertain heading into the spring, but the Rays' decision to sign him to a six-year, $24 million contract indicates the team plans to deploy the versatile 24-year-old in at least a pseudo-everyday role this season. Though he'll settle in at DH in the opener, Lowe is a candidate to see action at first and second base as well as the corner-outfield spots, which aids his chances of gaining multi-position eligibility. It's less certain if he'll be a regular fixture in the cleanup spot, but if that ends up being the case, it would undoubtedly help Lowe's run-producing opportunities.

Barreto will likely open the season in the minors after the A's acquired Kendrys Morales from the Blue Jays, Julian McWilliams of The Athletic reports.

Barreto was poised to break camp with the A's before Wednesday's trade. Now Morales will cover first base in Matt Olson's (hand) absence, pushing Jurickson Profar back to everyday duties at the keystone and leaving no playing time for the 23-year-old Barreto, who will head to Triple-A for everyday opportunities for the time being.