MLB Player News

Moustakas went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Thursday against the Cardinals.

Moustakas plated Milwaukee's first run of the 2019 campaign in the second inning on a solo homer to dead center. He started at second base and stepped into the No. 6 spot in the batting order Thursday, which figures to be where he'll sit for the majority of the year amongst a stacked lineup featuring the reigning National League MVP, Christian Yelich.

Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

As expected, Vargas will break camp with the Diamondbacks after it was announced that Steven Souza (knee) would require season-ending surgery. The 27-year-old, who owns a .250/.273/.375 triple-slash across 33 PA and 26 games over parts of two big-league seasons, will likely fill a utility role for the big club.

McMahon will start at second base and bat seventh Thursday against the Marlins, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Garrett Hampson was the presumptive favorite at second base entering camp, but McMahon wrestled the primary job away by slashing .424/.470/.763 during the exhibition slate. McMahon could start all four games in the series with three other right-handers (Trevor Richards, Pablo Lopez, Sandy Alcantara) set to follow Jose Urena for Miami.

Ramirez (knee) will start at third base and bat second Thursday in the Indians' Opening Day game against the Twins, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Ramirez suffered a major scare Sunday when he was carted off the field in an exhibition game after fouling a ball off his knee, but he was fortunate to escape with nothing more than a contusion. After testing out his knee with fielding drills over the past few days, he'll be able to man his usual spot at third base rather than having to slot in as the Tribe's designated hitter. Those who invested an early draft selection in Ramirez can rest easy and insert him into fantasy lineups without any reservations this week.

The Rays placed Duffy (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

The transaction was merely a formality as the Rays finalized their active roster ahead of Thursday's season opener versus the Astros. Duffy remains in the midst of a two-week shutdown period, which the Rays hope will be sufficient maintenance time as he looks to overcome the strained left hamstring that has troubled him off and on during the spring. An exact timeline for his return from the IL probably won't be established until he's able to play in simulated or minor-league rehab games.

The Rockies haven't made an official announcement about their starting second base job, but all three of Nick Groke of The Athletic, Thomas Harding of MLB.com and Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post project McMahon to start and bat seventh.

Both McMahon and Garrett Hampson had great springs, but McMahon has the better side of a potential platoon split -- which is appropriate given that the Rockies are facing right-hander Jose Urena.

Manager Alex Cora said Devers will start at third base and hit third in Thursday's season opener against the Mariners, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Cora often challenged Devers this spring by slotting him into the three hole, and the youngster responded by slashing .385/.396/.558 with five extra-base hits and seven RBI in 19 games. With Steve Pearce (calf) -- the team's usual No. 3 hitter against southpaws -- set to open the season on the shelf, it sounds like Devers could hit third for the time being, at least when the matchup is right.

Olt was released by the Twins on Saturday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Olt failed to win even a spot on the Twins' Triple-A roster. As a 30-year-old who hasn't played in the majors since 2015, Olt is unlikely to play a significant role anywhere this season.

Manager Terry Francona said that he expects Ramirez (knee) will be ready to play Thursday in the Indians' Opening Day game against the Twins, the Associated Press reports.

Ramirez looked like he could be a candidate for the injured list after he was carted off the field in an exhibition game Sunday when he fouled a ball off his left knee. Fortunately for Ramirez, follow-up tests revealed that he was dealing with nothing more than a bruise, so after getting a few days off to rest, the 26-year-old looks like he'll be fine. Ramirez is slated to work out for the Indians on Wednesday, after which Francona could confirm the third baseman's availability for the opener.

Vargas rejoined the Diamondbacks' big-league group ahead of Tuesday's exhibition finale versus the White Sox, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

Though Vargas was sent to Triple-A Reno just two days earlier, general manager Mike Hazen walked that decision back Tuesday, stating that the 27-year-old is the top internal candidate to fill the last available spot on the Opening Day roster. The spot opened up when outfielder Steven Souza suffered a serious-looking left knee injury in Monday's exhibition versus the White Sox that will almost certainly require him to start the season on the injured list. A utility infielder by trade, Vargas does have some limited experience in the outfield, but he'll probably amount to little more than an emergency option there. Instead, Souza's injury should prove more beneficial to the likes of Ketel Marte and Adam Jones, who now seemingly have clear paths to everyday roles in center and right field, respectively.