MLB Player News

Rooker was recalled from Minnesota's alternate training site Saturday, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Rooker lost out to Kyle Garlick for the final reserve outfielder spot in spring training, but he could figure into the mix in left field with Josh Donaldson on the injured list with a hamstring injury. Luis Arraez is starting at third base Saturday with Jake Cave in left field. It's possible Rooker could get starts in left field or at first base and even platoon with Cave if he gets hot, but he could also quickly return to the minors when Donaldson is ready to return.

Cabrera will serve as the designated hitter and bat fourth in Saturday's game against Cleveland.

Cabrera started at first base in Thursday's season opener and popped a home run, but he'll shift to DH for the second game as the Tigers look to keep him fresh. The 37-year-old is seemingly going to play the field at least a few times a week this season, though it remains to be seen exactly what the split will be between first base and DH.

Ohtani went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run and three strikeouts in Friday's loss to the White Sox.

Despite being scheduled to pitch Sunday, manager Joe Maddon said that Ohtani would be in Saturday's lineup as well, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. Ohtani is now 1-for-9 with four strikeouts through two games as a hitter.

Brantley went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 9-5 win over the Athletics.

Brantley's off to the races to open the season, going 6-for-9 with a home run, two RBI and four runs scored over the first two games. Sitting ahead of Alex Bregman in the order should provide plenty of good pitches for Brantley.

Mercedes started as the designated hitter and went 5-for-5 with a double and four RBI in Friday's 12-8 win over the Angels.

Mercedes was the top story coming out of Friday's game. The 28-year-old, who made his first Opening Day roster, had one at-bat in the majors prior to a breakout performance in his inaugural MLB start Friday. He's on the roster as a third catcher and part-time DH, but he may gain a larger profile after becoming the first player since 1933 to have five hits in his first MLB start.

Lewis (knee) will begin baseball activities in 3-to-4 days, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

He will begin by hitting in the cage and would then progress to running after a few days. It sounds like Lewis could come off the injured list in mid-to-late April. In the meantime, Taylor Trammell and Jake Fraley are playing center and left field, respectively, with Mitch Haniger handling right field for Seattle.

Choi (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined 4-5 weeks, so it was only a matter of time before he landed on the shelf. Yoshi Tsutsugo and Yandy Diaz could platoon at first base for the Rays in the meantime, while Choi looks at a potential return in early or mid-May.

Brantley went 3-for-4 with a solo homer while scoring twice in Thursday's victory over the Athletics.

Brantley smashed a solo shot in the eighth inning following his single and double earlier in the game. The 33-year-old has been nothing but productive since coming to Houston, and that appears likely to continue this season.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with three RBI in Thursday's victory over the Athletics.

Alvarez's return was much anticipated, given that the 2019 Rookie of the Year only recorded eight at-bats in 2020 while dealing with injuries. Alvarez picked up where he left off his first campaign with a huge double that was just shy of clearing the fence in the sixth inning to knock in two. He later recorded a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. The Astros are certainly happy to have the 23-year-old's potential pop return to an already explosive lineup.

Soler went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two RBI, a pair of walks and two runs scored during Thursday's Opening Day win over the Rangers.

Coming off an oblique injury that derailed most of his 2020 season, Soler sprung out with a solid start against Texas, reaching base in each at-bat. The 29-year-old added an exclamation point by evening the score at 8-8 with a solo home run against Kyle Cody in the fourth inning. After a 48-homer campaign in 2019, Soler scuffled to a .228/.326/.443 line last year, but he's a prime candidate to bounce back this season.