MLB Player News

Baty will start at designated hitter and bat sixth in Thursday's opener against the Pirates.

With righty Paul Skenes on the bump, the left-handed-hitting Baty gets the call over righty-swinging Mark Vientos. Baty is also likely to see starts at first base against right-handed pitching, but Jorge Polanco is getting his first career start there Thursday.

The Padres placed Song (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Song remains on the mend from the right oblique strain that he aggravated in March. He'll open the season on the IL and can make his MLB debut as soon as April 1, but MLB.com relays that he's trending toward a mid-April return. Song was able to play in a minor-league game on the back fields of camp this past Sunday, so he could be ready to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A El Paso when the season gets underway this weekend.

The Rockies placed Freeman (back) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Freeman is without a definitive timeline to return from the IL, though manager Warren Schaeffer doesn't believe the 26-year-old will require an extended stay on the shelf, per MLB.com. Once he's activated, Freeman is likely to serve as a super-utility player for Colorado.

The Rockies selected Rumfield's contract from Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday.

Manager Warren Schaeffer announced Sunday that Rumfield made Colorado's Opening Day roster, and the first baseman has now officially been added to the big-league club. The 25-year-old is now on the cusp of his MLB debut and is expected to see regular action at first base after posting a .913 OPS with five homers in 23 spring training games. He spent last season at the Triple-A level with the Yankees, where he had a .285/.378/.447 slash line in 138 contests.

The Diamondbacks placed Locklear (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Locklear was held out for the entirety of spring training while recovering from Oct. 16 surgeries to repair the labrum in his left shoulder and a torn ligament in his left elbow. He's not expected to be ready to return from IL until around mid-May to early June.

The Diamondbacks selected Vargas' contract from Triple-A Reno on Wednesday.

Vargas was able to win a spot on Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster as a utility man, beating out Jacob Amaya for one of the final spots on the Arizona bench. After slashing .270/.292/.383 with three home runs and 19 RBI over 121 plate appearances with Arizona in 2025, Vargas will likely be in store for limited playing time this season so long as Ketel Marte (lower leg), Geraldo Perdomo and Nolan Arenado are all healthy.

The Rockies are expected to place Freeman on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to lower-back inflammation, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports.

Freeman didn't make his Cactus League debut until March 5 due to back problems and he encountered a setback last week. While he does not appear to have any structural damage in his back, the fact that the injury has lingered for so long could point to longer than a minimum stay on the IL. Once healthy, Freeman projects for a super-utility role in Colorado.

Chaparro is expected to begin the season as the Nationals' primary designated hitter, Jessica Camerato and Paige Leckie of MLB.com report.

Luis Garcia is shifting to first base and Daylen Lile should be the primary right fielder, leaving DH available for Chaparro. The 26-year-old hasn't done much yet in the majors to suggest he's capable of providing consistent offense, however, slashing .203/.268/.358 in 205 plate appearances for the Nats over the last two years with just five homers. He's also struggled this spring, batting .154 (6-for-39) with two home runs and a 6:12 BB:K. If Chaparro can't step up, he could be the player who loses his spot when it's time for Dylan Crews or Robert Hassell -- both of whom will begin the year with Triple-A Rochester -- to get another look.

House slashed .429/.444/.786 over 16 Grapefruit League games this spring with six doubles and three home runs.

The 22-year-old third baseman also had a 1:11 BB:K, however, creating plenty of doubt as to whether House will be able to maintain that momentum into the regular season. He's locked into the starting job at the hot corner, but he'll need to significantly improve his plate discipline to get to his power after he managed just a 2.9 percent walk rate against a 28.5 percent strikeout rate as a rookie in 2025.

Pirates manager Don Kelly said Sunday that he plans to use Triolo as the team's everyday shortstop to begin the season, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. "Just feel like he's been so good at short in his limited time last year," Kelly said of Triolo. "He's good anywhere you put him. But just felt like being a shortstop, having him there when he's on the field is really important."

A Gold Glove Award winner as a utility man in 2024, Triolo continued to provide strong defense at multiple infield spots in 2025, logging 44 starts at shortstop, 30 at third base, 12 at first base and 10 at second base. He'll carry eligibility at the former two positions in most fantasy leagues heading into 2026, but the Pirates seemingly want to deploy Triolo on more of a full-time basis at shortstop rather than shifting him all over the infield as needs arise. Triolo has already proved that he belongs in the big leagues defensively, but the jury is still out as to whether he's worthy of a regular spot in the everyday lineup. The 28-year-old owns a mediocre 87 wRC+ over parts of three seasons in the big leagues, but he took a major step forward in the second half of 2025, slashing .276/.353/.422 (117 wRC+) with four home runs and eight stolen bases across 216 plate appearances.