MLB Player News
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Masyn Winn SS | STL
Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Opening year at Triple-A
Winn is beginning the 2023 season at Triple-A Memphis.
There was some thought that Winn might repeat Double-A for a bit, but he showed so well this spring that he's getting the boost to Triple-A just 10 days after his 21st birthday. The toolsy young shortstop slashed .333/.393/.556 with two home runs, two doubles, two triples and four stolen bases over 18 games (61 plate appearances) in the Grapefruit League. He seems certain to make his MLB debut at some point this summer.
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Joey Wendle 2B | ATL
Marlins' Joey Wendle: Sitting against lefty
Wendle is not in the Marlins' lineup for Thursday's matchup against the Mets, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
Wendle had just a .595 OPS against southpaws last season, so the lefty-hitting infielder will take a seat Friday against David Peterson. Jon Berti will take over for him at shortstop and bat ninth.
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Tim Anderson 2B | LAA
White Sox's Tim Anderson: Reaches base three times
Anderson went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double and a run scored Thursday against the Astros.
Anderson assumed his typical role as the White Sox's leadoff hitter, and he had a positive start to his season. His double came with two outs in the third inning, though he was ultimately stranded, but he scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning after earning a one-out walk. Anderson's 2022 season was derailed by groin and finger injuries, though he entered the new campaign fully healthy after also playing in the World Baseball Classic.
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Jeremy Pena SS | HOU
Astros' Jeremy Pena: Serves as leadoff hitter
Pena went 1-for-4 with a stolen base Thursday against the White Sox.
Pena was expected to drop in the batting order after hitting primarily in the two-hole in 2022. However, with Jose Altuve (hand) and Michael Brantley (shoulder) sidelined, Pena instead moved to the leadoff spot. He didn't have a particularly notable performance, though he did lead off the game with a single before proceeding to steal second base. After delivering 11 stolen bases in his rookie season, Pena could see an uptick in production due to his lineup placement and the new rules that have been implemented to benefit baserunners.
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Bo Bichette 3B | NYM
Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Four hits in wild Opening Day win
Bichette went 4-for-6 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's 10-9 win over the Cardinals.
The Blue Jays played small ball and lots of it with 16 singles on the afternoon, and Bichette and George Springer accounted for eight of them from the top of the order. Bichette has never hit below .290 in his four big-league seasons, but the 25-year-old could be ready to take a big step forward with his overall production in 2023 after posting a career-low .802 OPS last year.
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C.J. Abrams SS | WAS
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Shows nerves Thursday
Abrams went 0-for-4 with a strikeout while also committing three errors in the field during an Opening Day loss to Atlanta.
Getting the start at shortstop and batting ninth in the order on his first MLB Opening Day, Abrams' first error could easily have been ruled a hit as it came on a scorching grounder by Ronald Acuna. There was no excuse for Abrams' two airmailed throws later in the game. The Nationals are rebuilding in 2023 and will live with Abrams' growing pains, but the 22-year-old might have a long way to go before he'll be a reliable big-league player -- or a reliable fantasy asset.
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Nick Ahmed SS | TEX
Diamondbacks' Nick Ahmed: Doubles, scores on Opening Day
Ahmed went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Thursday's 8-2 loss to the Dodgers.
Ahmed got the start at shortstop Opening Day against Los Angeles lefty Julio Urias, but he could find himself on the bench Friday. That's partially due to manager Torey Lovullo wanting to get the switch-hitting Geraldo Perdomo in against righty Dustin May, but also because Ahmed, who underwent shoulder surgery last season, will not be an everyday player early on.
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Anthony Volpe SS | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Volpe: Walks, steals base in MLB debut
Volpe went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in Thursday's 5-0 win over San Francisco.
The 21-year-old got a loud reaction from the Bronx faithful during pregame introductions. He worked a walk in his first big-league plate appearance and quickly stole second base, flashing some of the skills that make him a top prospect. Volpe also turned his first double play in pinstripes, a sixth-inning twin killing behind Gerrit Cole. It looks like Volpe will be batting ninth in the order for the time being.
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Xander Bogaerts SS | SD
Padres' Xander Bogaerts: Collects three hits in debut
Bogaerts went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in Thursday's Opening Day loss to the Rockies.
The Padres were somewhat surprisingly held in check by Colorado's pitching staff, but Bogaerts wasn't to blame. The shortstop was the only San Diego batter to collect multiple hits, and he finished with three of the team's seven base knocks. Two of his hits went for doubles, and he scored San Diego's final run in the fourth inning. Bogaerts' affinity for two-baggers is nothing new -- he slammed 52 doubles in 2019 and averaged 36 doubles per campaign between 2021 and 2022.
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Wander Franco SS | TB
Rays' Wander Franco: Tallies late homer
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.