Busch went 3-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 10-4 loss to the Nationals.

Like he did much of last season, Busch hit leadoff Opening Day, and the Chicago first baseman picked up right where he left off after an impressive 2025 campaign. Busch batted first with Washington starting righty Cade Cavalli, and the Cubs have said the left-handed bat won't be deployed strictly in a platoon, so he should have plenty of opportunities against southpaws moving forward.

Tena will begin the season on the Nationals' 26-man roster, Jessica Camerato and Paige Leckie of MLB.com report.

Washington scooped up Jorbit Vivas from the Yankees late in camp to be its top utility option, but Tena is out of minor-league options and will remain on the bench as well, at least for now. Tena slashed .243/.314/.355 over 169 plate appearances last season with zero homers and three steals while seeing most of his time at third base.

House will start at third base and bat third in Thursday's opener versus the Cubs.

The righty-swinging House will likely hit toward the bottom of the batting order against right-handed pitching, but he'll occupy a prime spot in the lineup versus lefty Matthew Boyd. House stung the ball in spring training, slashing .429/.444/.786 with three home runs, though his usual plate-discipline issues (1:11 BB:K) remained.

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.