MLB Player News

Merrifield went 1-for-4 in Monday's 6-1 loss to the Tigers.

Although he's gone just 2-for-12 (.167) over the Royals' first three games, Merrifield has managed to score on two occasions. After hitting a respectable .288/.324/.460 over 145 games last season, Merrifield will see consistent time at second base as he tries to find his groove at the dish.

Jones is transitioning from the outfield to playing second base, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Jones worked his way up to High-A Inland Empire last season, where he hit .302/.368/.488 and stole nine bases over 41 games. Although he was on his way to becoming a promising outfield prospect for the Angels, the club has opted to have the 20-year-old continue his development as a second baseman. Because Jones played the keystone during high school, general manager Billy Eppler is confident that the transition should be smooth. If Jones adapts well and continues impressing offensively, a promotion to Double-A Mobile could be in order this year.

The Blue Jays assigned Espinosa to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Espinosa's status had been in limbo for the last few days after Gift Ngeope beat him out for a reserve spot in the infield, but it appears the veteran has elected to remain in the organization for now. Since Espinosa's contract contains an out clause if he's not promoted to the big-league roster before the end of April, he's unlikely to stick around at Buffalo for more than a few weeks.

Hernandez started at second and went 2-for-4 with a double, a pair of RBI and a run scored in Sunday's win over the Giants.

The key for the super utility man was that he got a start against a righty, after he was expected to be on the short side of a platoon with Chase Utley until Justin Turner (wrist) returns from the disabled list. Hernandez did show improved results against right-handed pitchers this spring, so this could have been more than a matchup-based start. If he mans the keystone in either of the Dodgers' next two games (both against righties), then owners looking for a short-term boost to their middle infield may want to pounce on the 26-year-old, as a semi-regular role in this potent lineup should produce value.

Drury went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays.

Drury launched his first home run of the season Sunday, bringing his RBI count to four along the way. Over four games with his new club, Drury has gone 5-for-13 (.385). Even after Miguel Andujar was summoned from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Drury should remain a regular in New York's powerful lineup if his production remains solid.

Frazier will be on the bench for the second game of the Pirates' doubleheader Sunday against the Tigers.

The Pirates are stocking their lineup with right-handed bats to counter lefty Ryan Carpenter in Game 2 of the twin bill, so Frazier will take a seat and open up the designated-hitter spot for Francisco Cervelli. Frazier went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in the Pirates' 1-0 victory in the first game of the day.

Forsythe is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.

Forsythe has yet to collect his first hit of the season, as he's gone 0-for-10 at the plate with three strikeouts over the Dodgers' first three outings. He'll take a seat while the team deploys Enrique Hernandez at second base.

Andrus is likely to get the majority of at-bats in the leadoff spot with Delino DeShields (hand) sidelined, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Andrus was the emergency fill-in at leadoff Saturday and got on base three times while scoring all three runs in the Rangers' 9-3 loss to the Astros. He had opened the season as the third hitter, where he could make an impact driving in runs. That all changes -- at least as long as DeShields is out. The bottom third of the Rangers' order will not present Andrus with many RBI opportunities -- that trio went 0-for-11 with one walk and six strikeouts Saturday. The lower third of the order is a combined 1-for-29 with two walks and 13 strikeouts over the first three games of the season.

Altuve went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 9-3 win over the Rangers.

This was the 25th time in Altuve's career he's had a four-hit game, although you don't need us to point out statistical feats that prove Altuve's one of baseball's best hitters. He's batting third in the order, in front of Carlos Correa, who also had four hits Saturday, including a home run. Altuve, who has scored 220 runs over the last two seasons, should be a lock to cross home plate more than 100 times this season while hitting in front of Correa.

Hernandez got the start at shortstop and hit second Saturday, going 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in a 5-0 win over the Giants.

With Corey Seager getting the night off against Giants lefty Derek Holland, Hernandez saw his first action of the year at short while Chris Taylor remained in center field. The 26-year-old saw action at every position except pitcher and catcher last season, and Hernandez's fantasy value should again be tied more to his versatility than his bat in 2018 given his .235/.313/.413 career slash line.