MLB Player News
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Brice Turang 2B | MIL
Brewers' Brice Turang: Sits against lefty
Turang will hit the bench Saturday against the Cubs.
Turang made his MLB debut in the season opener Thursday, going 1-for-3. Owen Miller will take over at the keystone with lefty Justin Steele starting for the Cubs. A strict platoon may be the plan going forward at the position.
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Luis Urias 2B | TOR
Brewers' Luis Urias: May miss eight weeks
Urias was placed on the injured list Saturday with a hamstring strain which could keep him out for eight weeks, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Urias suffered the injury on Opening Day, and it's evidently a fairly serious one. He's been given a timetable of six-to-eight weeks, with the Brewers expecting him to fall on the latter end of that range. Mike Brosseau will take over at third base Saturday, but Brian Anderson, who starts in right field, could wind up being the primary option against righties. That would open up more at-bats for Brewers outfielders, including Joey Wiemer, who was recalled to take Urias' spot on the roster.
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Miguel Vargas 3B | CHW
Dodgers' Miguel Vargas: Reaches base four times Friday
Vargas went 1-for-1 with a double and three walks in a loss to Arizona on Friday.
Vargas nearly hit his first home run of the season in the second inning, but the ball bounced off the wall, and he ended up with a double. The rookie set the table by walking in each of his three subsequent plate appearances, but the batters below him in the order couldn't cash him in. Vargas has displayed an astute eye at the plate through two games, walking five times over eight plate appearances.
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Ha-seong Kim SS | ATL
Padres' Ha-Seong Kim: Doubles twice
Kim went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored in Friday's loss to Colorado.
Kim accounted for nearly all of San Diego's offense Friday, collecting three of the team's five hits and the only two that went for extra bases. He scored in the eighth inning on Xander Bogaerts' sacrifice fly. Kim has collected four hits through two games and has yet to record a walk or strikeout.
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Luis Urias 2B | TOR
Brewers' Luis Urias: Could head to injured list
Urias (hamstring) could be headed to the injured list, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Urias was removed Thursday with a left hamstring injury, and it has been reported that the Brewers will call up Joey Wiemer before Saturday's game against the Cubs. That would allow the Brewers to move Brian Anderson to third base while Wiemer would likely be the regular in right field. Should Urias be placed on the IL, he wouldn't be eligible to return until April 10, at the earliest.
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Josh Rojas 3B | KC
Diamondbacks' Josh Rojas: In leadoff spot for Friday's game
Rojas is starting at third base and batting leadoff Friday against the Dodgers.
Rojas was on the bench in favor of Evan Longoria for Arizona's opener with the Dodgers throwing left-hander Julio Urias, but he'll start and lead off versus righty Dustin May. It figures to be a pretty consistent platoon between the two this season, although Rojas has the versatility to play multiple other positions as well.
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Harold Castro 2B | KC
Rockies' Harold Castro: Draws Opening Day start
Castro went 1-for-5 with a run scored Thursday against the Padres.
Castro was in camp as a non-roster invitee but ultimately earned a spot on the Opening Day roster. He started in left field while hitting eighth in Colorado's first game. Once Jurickson Profar gets ramped up and Randal Grichuk (groin) is able to return, Castro will find playing time harder to come by, but he could get some run during the early portion of the season.
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Luis Arraez 2B | SF
Marlins' Luis Arraez: Two hits in Miami debut
Arraez went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in an Opening Day loss to the Mets.
It was ultimately a disappointing result for the Marlins, but one of their biggest offseason acquisitions performed exactly as advertised in his first game for the club. Arraez hit leadoff in his Miami debut, and after winning the AL batting title last season for Minnesota while scoring 88 runs in 144 games, he should be an effective table-setter in 2023.
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Ji-Hwan Bae 2B | NYM
Pirates' Ji Hwan Bae: Two steals in opener
Bae went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, two runs scored and two stolen bases in Thursday's 5-4 victory over the Reds.
Bae started the game at second base before ultimately moving to center field in the bottom of the ninth inning as Canaan Smith-Njigba was lifted for a defensive replacement. Although Bae was buried in the eight hole in the order, he was in the middle of every rally for the Pirates and showcased his speed when he got on base. The 23-year-old ranked in the 90th percentile in sprint speed last season according to Statcast.
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Brendan Donovan 2B | SEA
Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Collects three hits, homer in loss
Donovan went 3-for-6 with a two-run home run and two additional runs scored in Thursday's 10-9 loss to Toronto.
Donovan served as the Cardinals' Opening Day leadoff hitter and did his job setting the table against Alek Manoah and company. He even carried over the newfound pop he showed in spring training -- Donovan smacked four homers in Grapefruit League play, just one fewer than he had in 468 plate appearances in the majors last season. Donovan has a good eye at the plate, and if the power is here to stay, he could end up being a fantasy gem.