MLB Player News

Rosario is starting in center field and leading off Friday against the Tigers.

This is his first start in center field this season, although he did appear in center field after entering as a pinch hitter back on April 3. His other two starts came at shortstop. Rosario is 3-for-8 with zero extra-base hits and zero stolen-base attempts in four games. If he can produce at the plate, there should be a spot for him most days in the field.

Kemp drew two walks in three plate appearances during Thursday's loss to the Astros before being pinch hit for in the ninth inning.

Kemp has only one hit his first 17 plate appearance, but he's reached base safely on four other occasions courtesy of free passes. The 29-year-old appeared to be making strides at the plate as spring wound down, but Jed Lowrie, who delivered a pinch-hit single after replacing Kemp on Thursday, has been the more productive of the two early in the regular season.

Mendick went 3-for-3 with three singles and a walk in Thursday's 6-0 win over the Royals.

The 27-year-old is filling in nicely for Tim Anderson (hamstring) with four hits and two walks in two games this season. Mendick could earn more playing time even once Leury Garcia (leg) is healthy if he continues to supply offense from the bottom of the lineup.

Frazier went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI on Thursday against the Cubs.

Frazier was one of the few sources of offense for the Pirates in this one, as he laced an RBI single in the fourth inning. Serving as the team's primary leadoff hitter, he has only five hits in 22 at-bats, but he's also worked out five free passes in six starts. Though he's on top of potentially the worst lineup in the majors, Frazier should still score runs at a decent clip if he continues to get on base regularly.

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Thursday's victory over the Tigers.

The 30-year-old smacked a solo shot off Deolis Guerra in the seventh inning, his first of the season. Altuve is slashing .310/.394/.448 and appears to be fully recovered from his knee issues, though he's still well past his old days as a 30-steal threat.

Biggio went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs in a loss to the Angels on Thursday.

The 25-year-old smacked his second homer of the season against Griffin Canning in the sixth inning. Though he's off to a slow start, Biggio is looking to be a sparkplug in a very young Blue Jays offense that will continue to improve, especially with the addition of George Springer (oblique/quad) whenever he returns from injury. Biggio had a breakout year in 2020, slashing .250/.375/.432.

Hernandez went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Thursday against the Orioles.

Hernandez provided an insurance run in the eighth inning when he took Tyler Wells deep for his first homer of the season. He had a slow start to the campaign, collecting only two hits in his first 18 at-bats. However, Hernandez has shown signs of improving his performance at the plate, collecting three knocks across his last two games.

McNeil went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Thursday against the Marlins.

McNeil led off the ninth inning with the Mets down 2-1, and he drove an Anthony Bass offering over the right-field wall to tie the game. It was both his first hit and first homer of the campaign, as he entered the game 0-for-8 at the dish. McNeil should be a regular in the lineup at second base throughout the season.

Arraez went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and three RBI during Thursday's win over the Mariners.

Arraez extended Minnesota's lead with his long ball against Ljay Newsome in the seventh inning. He also swatted a sacrifice fly in the fifth to score Miguel Sano. It was the first long ball of the season for Arraez, who is hitting .381 across six games. Homers like Thursday's will be few and far between, but he's shown impressive contact ability in the majors over the last two seasons.

Marte was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain Thursday.

Marte pulled up while running to first base in Wednesday's loss to the Rockies, and he'll miss additional time as a result. He'll undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the extent of the injury, but Tim Locastro should serve as the primary center fielder while Marte is sidelined. Andrew Young was recalled from the taxi squad in a corresponding move to serve as outfield depth.