MLB Player News

Franco went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Thursday against the Tigers.

Franco added an insurance run in the eighth inning with a solo home run off Mason Englert to put the Rays up 4-0. While he was otherwise quiet, the performance was reassuring after he battled a quadriceps issue late in spring training. After managing only 344 plate appearances in 2022, Franco will look to put together a full season of productivity this season.

Mateo went 2-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases, one RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 10-9 win over the Red Sox.

Mateo attempted only one steal over 17 Grapefruit League games while slashing .273/.333/.386 during the exhibition season. The shortstop had 35 steals in 2022, so it's not a huge surprise to see him active on the basepaths, especially with new rules incentivizing steals. The bigger issue for Mateo may be getting on base -- he hit .221 with a .267 on-base percentage last season. The 27-year-old should at least see a majority of the starts at shortstop to begin the campaign. He's a strong defender, though a ninth-inning error Thursday made this game closer than it had to be.

Crawford (foot) is batting ninth and playing shortstop Thursday versus Cleveland.

As expected, Crawford is fine after fouling a pitch off hit foot six days ago and will face Shane Bieber to begin the 2023 season. Coming off a 2022 campaign when he slashed .243/.339/.336, Crawford figures to be a mainstay near the bottom of Seattle's lineup.

The Yankees selected Volpe's contract and added him to the active roster ahead of Thursday's season opener versus the Giants. He'll start at shortstop and bat ninth in the Opening Day game.

The team confirmed over the weekend that Volpe would break camp with the big club, but the transaction wasn't made official until shortly before the season opener. The 21-year-old Volpe pushed his way on the roster after posting a 1.033 OPS with three home runs and five stolen bases in 19 Grapefruit League games. Despite the strong showing in Florida, Volpe will still have to earn his way up the batting order by continuing to turn in productive at-bats during the early weeks of the regular season.

Franco is starting at shortstop and batting second for the Rays in Thursday's opener against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco recently required an MRI for soreness in his right quad, but the imaging came back clean and he's ready to roll for Opening Day. The young switch hitter and his teammates will be going up against Detroit lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.

The Red Sox placed Mondesi (knee) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

As a result of the transaction, Mondesi will come off the 40-man roster and won't be eligible to make his Boston debut until at least late May. The Red Sox have been vague about a potential timetable for Mondesi to resume playing while he continues his recovery from the ACL tear he suffered last year. He'll be in the mix at second base once healthy, but for now, Christian Arroyo will hold down the keystone.

Pena saw action in 11 Grapefruit League games and compiled a .324/.361/.706 slash line with three home runs and a stolen base.

Fresh off a brilliant rookie season that he capped off with MVP honors in the ALCS and World Series, Pena already looks dialed in at the dish as he prepares to kick off his second big-league season Thursday versus the White Sox. Though manager Dusty Baker suggested earlier in spring training that Pena would slot further down in the lineup in 2023 than he did as a rookie, the 25-year-old shortstop now appears likely to open the upcoming campaign as Houston's leadoff or No. 2 hitter, with Jose Altuve (thumb) Michael Brantley (shoulder) ticketed for the injured list.

Duran started in left field and went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk in Tuesday's spring game against the Royals.

Duran raked during the spring, posting a .357/.390/.714 line over 26 games. That alone should cement his roster spot, but manager Bruce Bochy told Dave Sessions of MLB.com that Duran's most intriguing trait has been defensive versatility. In addition to 58 innings at third base and 27 at shortstop, Duran played 28.2 innings in left field. "If you look at who may have been a surprise in Spring Training, he would be right there at the top," Bochy said. "How well he's handled everything -- every position I've put him at, including shortstop and the outfield." The Rangers suddenly find themselves in need of outfield depth with Leody Taveras (oblique) expected to land on the injured list.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters Tuesday that there's still no timetable for Mondesi (knee) to return, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Mondesi has already been ruled out for the start of the season, and he will begin the 2023 campaign on the injured list. That will open up a spot for a player like Raimel Tapia, who is going to be a backup outfielder with the Red Sox to open the year. Mondesi will assuredly need a rehab assignment before playing in games, so it's unlikely he's helping Boston before the end of April, with the middle of May a likely landing spot.

Camargo was reassigned Tuesday to the minor-league side of Royals camp.

Camargo is recovered from the side tightness that bothered him for a bit in mid-March, but he will not have a spot on the Opening Day roster in Kansas City. The 29-year-old has slashed just .208/.265/.319 over his last 311 major-league plate appearances dating back to the beginning of the 2020 season.