MLB Player News

Berti will start at third base and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.

Berti will occupy third base for the third time in four games and looks to have at least temporarily emerged as the Cubs' preferred option at the position following the April 15 demotion of Matt Shaw. Rule 5 pick Gage Workman had previously represented Berti's top competition for playing time, but the Cubs designated Workman for assignment Wednesday and brought in veteran utility infielder Nicky Lopez in on a one-year deal in a corresponding move. Berti thus may have some work to do in order to build up job security, especially while he's maintained an underwhelming .250/.344/.250 slash line through his first 14 games of the season.

Muncy is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Cubs, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

The left-handed-hitting Muncy will take a seat as the Cubs send southpaw Matthew Boyd to the bump. Miguel Rojas will handle third base and bat eighth for the Dodgers.

Rosario is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

Even though CJ Abrams (hip) and Paul DeJong (nose) are both still on the injured list, Rosario has seen his playing time trend down lately. After making consecutive starts at third base April 12 and 13, Rosario has cracked the lineup just three times in the Nationals' ensuing nine games. Jose Tena has emerged as Washington's preferred option at third base, while Nasim Nunez is serving as Abrams' primary replacement at shortstop.

The Cubs designated Workman for assignment Wednesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Workman had some defensive lapses and went just 3-for-14 at the plate in nine games for the Cubs this season. The Rule 5 pick will be available via trade or a waiver claim, but if no other teams are willing to dedicate an active roster spot to him, he must be offered back to the Tigers for $50,000.

The Cubs signed Lopez to a one-year contract Wednesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Lopez was with the Cubs during spring training before opting out of his minor-league contract and eventually signing with the Angels. He's now back in Chicago and will initially fill a utility role in the infield, though he could get a decent amount of playing time at third base if the Cubs aren't satisfied with Jon Berti as their primary option at the position.

Smith is not in the lineup for Wednesday's tilt against the Blue Jays, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Smith had started each of the previous 13 contests but will get a breather Wednesday as the Astros try to complete a series sweep. Zach Dezenzo will cover right field and bat seventh.

Mastrobuoni is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.

Mastrobuoni had started in each of the Mariners' last four matchups versus right-handed pitching, but he'll hit the bench Wednesday while the Red Sox send southpaw Sean Newcomb to the bump. The Mariners will likely continue to deploy Mastrobuoni in a timeshare at third base with Ben Williamson until Jorge Polanco is cleared to play the field again while he manages a side injury.

India is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Rockies.

India is in a 6-for-46 slide at the plate to drop his season batting line to .195/.298/.244. Maikel Garcia is at third base and Cavan Biggio is at second base for the Royals on Wednesday as India gets a day to regroup.

Baez will start in center field and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Baez will pick up his sixth straight start and his third in a row in center field, a position he hadn't played professionally prior to this season. The 32-year-old looks on track to serve as the Tigers' preferred option in center until the team gets one of Matt Vierling (shoulder), Wenceel Perez (back) or Parker Meadows (arm) back from the injured list. Baez is hitting .274 on the season, but he has yet to record a home run or stolen base and has logged just four RBI and five runs over 66 plate appearances.

Tena went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-0 win over the Orioles.

The Nats scalded the ball all night, with 10 of their 14 hits going for extra bases in a 7-0 rout, and Tena led the way with three of them. The 24-year-old has started three of the last four games, and with Washington looking to get some production from the hot corner, manager Dave Martinez suggested after Tuesday's contest that Tena could move into a strong-side platoon role at third base while Paul DeJong (nose) remains on the shelf, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com.