MLB Player News

Castro is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros.

After Oneil Cruz exited Sunday's 1-0 win over the White Sox with a lower leg injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for around four months, Castro received the first two starts at shortstop in Cruz's stead. Though he's committed an error in both of those games, he's gotten on base in all but one his seven plate appearances during that span. Ji Hwan Bae will get the nod at shortstop Wednesday, but Castro looks like he'll still have at least a semi-regular role in the Bucs' middle infield for the foreseeable future.

Castro went 2-for-4 with two runs scored Tuesday against the Astros.

Castro has started at shortstop in both games since Oneil Cruz (ankle) went down, and he's hit seventh in the order on each occasion. While his defensive play has been unsteady, Castro reached base three times Tuesday -- he was hit by a pitch in the second inning -- and has at least one hit in three of his last four games. He has only one RBI and one extra-base hit across 26 plate appearances for the season, but he now has a clear path to playing time.

Chapman went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Tigers.

The third baseman continues his assault on big-league pitching, reeling off his third straight multi-hit performance and seventh in 11 games to begin the season. Chapman's fourth-inning homer off Matt Manning (foot) was his third of the season, and his AL-leading .477 batting average (21-for-44) also comes with seven doubles, nine runs and 15 RBI.

Paredes went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Red Sox.

His fourth-inning blast off Garrett Whitlock was the first of four Rays homers on the night. Paredes has emerged as a consistent starter for Tampa Bay in the early going rather than a utility player, and through 11 games he's batting an impressive .314 (11-for-35) with three homers and 10 RBI.

Jung went 2-for-3 with two walks, a double and two runs scored in Tuesday's 8-5 extra-inning win over the Royals.

Jung was back at third base after getting a day off Monday. The 25-year-old has hit safely in seven of 10 games while posting a .263/.333/.474 line with two home runs, two doubles, five RBI and seven runs. Third base was a black hole for the Rangers in 2022, but that has not been the case early on this season.

McMahon went 2-for-5 with three-run home run during Tuesday's 9-6 loss to the Cardinals.

McMahon singled during the first inning and clubbed a three-run homer in the fifth, but he struck out in his other three plate appearances. The 28-year-old has three home runs and eight RBI through 12 games, though he's hitting just .220 and has a 39.1 percent strikeout rate.

Bregman went 2-for-5 with a double and a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to Pittsburgh.

Bregman has struggled for the first week-plus of the season but he didn't have any issues Tuesday. He blasted a solo homer off Mitch Keller two batters into the game, the first round tripper of the season for the third baseman. Even with the pair of extra-base hits, Bregman is slashing just .188/.316/.271 on the young season, but history tells us those numbers should rise considerably as the season progresses.

Maton went 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run in Tuesday's loss to the Blue Jays.

Maton provided all the offense for the Tigers in the 9-3 loss with his first home run of the season in the second inning. It was only the third hit overall for the third baseman, who's batting just .120 in the early going. Maton should continue to see regular playing time, though it remains to be seen if he'll have much of a fantasy impact moving forward.

Hayes went 2-for-4 with a double while scoring a run and stealing a base in Tuesday's win over the Astros.

It's the first steal of the season for Hayes. The third baseman also had his second multi-hit effort of the season, and it helps break an 0-for-11 skid over his last three games. With the pair of hits, Hayes is now slashing .159/.178/.227 over 44 at-bats.

Vargas (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to April 10, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Vargas was reportedly dealing with shoulder stiffness Monday and now will officially be out for at least 10 days with a strained left shoulder. With Luis Garcia still day-to-day with a hamstring injury, Michael Chavis or the newly recalled Jeter Downs will fill in at second base for the time being.