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Nolan Arenado 3B | ARI
Cardinals' Nolan Arenado: Solid regular-season team debut
Arenado went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and a run in Thursday's season-opening win over the Reds.
He also struck out for two of his three outs on the afternoon, so it wasn't exactly a picture-perfect debut. However, Arenado's impact went beyond just serving in more of a table-setting role Thursday, as his mere presence behind Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup could well have helped his teammate see much better pitches than he would have otherwise. Considering Goldschmidt parlayed that opportunity into a 4-for-5 day, it's evident Arenado's value to his new squad could extend beyond just what he produces in the box score.
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Evan Longoria 3B | ARI
Giants' Evan Longoria: Pops Opening Day homer
Longoria went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 8-7 extra-inning loss to the Mariners.
Longoria opened the scoring by leading off the second inning with a homer. The third baseman battled plantar fasciitis that limited him to designated hitter duty for most of spring training, but he played all 10 innings in the field Thursday. The 35-year-old had seven homers, 28 RBI and 26 runs scored with a .254/.297/.425 slash line in 53 games last year. When healthy, he should be a near-everyday presence in the heart of the Giants' lineup.
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Alex Bregman 3B | CHC
Astros' Alex Bregman: Goes yard in season opener
Bregman went 2-for-4 with a solo homer while knocking in two and scoring twice in Thursday's victory over the Athletics.
Bregman followed up Michael Brantley's homer in the eighth inning with one of his own. With the game's outcome not in question in the following frame, he was pulled for a pinch runner after getting into scoring position -- likely in deference to the sore hamstring that plagued him during spring training. Robel Garcia ran for him and ended up scoring a run that could have been Bregman's. Bregman is coming off arguably his worst MLB season, as he hit a modest .242/.350/.451 -- well off his career line of .283/.382/.523 -- but he's still just 27 and there's no reason to think he can't bounce back. Opening Day certainly offered up some optimism in that regard.
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Max Muncy 3B | LAD
Dodgers' Max Muncy: Looks good at plate in opener
Muncy went 2-for-4 with a triple, a walk and an RBI on Thursday against the Rockies.
Muncy reached base three times in the season opener. He delivered an RBI single in the sixth inning and added his triple in the ninth inning as the Dodgers attempted to rally. Muncy batted fifth on Opening Day, but he's moved all around the order in the past, so it's not clear that he'll stick in that lineup slot.
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Eugenio Suarez DH | CIN
Reds' Eugenio Suarez: Homers after two errors in field
Suarez went 1-for-3 with two walks, a solo home run and a strikeout in Thursday's loss to the Cardinals.
The decision to play Suarez at shortstop almost immediately backfired; he made a fielding error in the first inning and a throwing error in the second, compounding Luis Castillo's issues on the mound. Suarez later went yard against Jack Flaherty, and he does look slimmer, but it's anyone's guess how long this experiment at shortstop will last. The early returns certainly cast some doubt on his ability to gain extra eligibility in-season.
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Jean Segura 3B | CLE
Phillies' Jean Segura: Notches Opening Day walk-off hit
Segura went 2-for-5 with one RBI and one stolen base Thursday against Atlanta.
Segura played hero in the bottom of the 10th inning, as he chopped a base hit down the third-base line to drive in the game-winning run. Perhaps more noteworthy was Segura's activity on the basepaths, as he swiped second base after reaching on a fielder's choice in the eighth inning. He stole only two bases on four attempts in 2020, but if he remains active on the basepaths this year, it will significantly boost his fantasy profile.
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Ke'Bryan Hayes 3B | CIN
Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes: Launches two-run shot
Hayes went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer and a walk during Thursday's win over the Cubs.
Hayes went deep five times during the shortened 2020 season, but he made his presence felt in his first at-bat of the season when he took Kyle Hendricks deep to put the Pirates up 2-0 in the first inning. Hayes' .682 slugging percentage last season certainly bodes well for him to become a legit power threat in Pittsburgh's lineup, though he's not expected to post those numbers over the course of a full season. Some regression is expected, but the power is real.
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Josh Donaldson 3B | MIL
Twins' Josh Donaldson: To be reevaluated Friday
Donaldson (hamstring) is likely to be reevaluated Friday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Donaldson exited the team's game after suffering hamstring tightness while running the bases. Manager Rocco Baldelli said there's some concern regarding Donaldson's status, but there'll be no clarity on a timeline until the team learns more about the extent of the injury.
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Nick Senzel 3B | LAD
Reds' Nick Senzel: Hoping for weekend return
Senzel (shoulder) appears to have escaped serious injury, and the team is hopeful to have him back in the lineup this weekend, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel exited Thursday's Opening Day contest after making a diving catch in the fourth inning. Manager David Bell said that the team wouldn't have a full picture of the injury's severity until Friday, but initial indications are that Senzel's absence will be short.