MLB Player News

Refsnyder started in right field and went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in Friday's 10-3 win over the White Sox.

Refsnyder got the start ahead of Wilyer Abreu with a lefty on the mound, despite Abreu's hot start. Refsnyder crushed left-handers in 2024 (.941 OPS), and manager Alex Cora will deploy him against southpaws any chance he gets. Unfortunately for Refsnyder, the Red Sox haven't faced many lefties in 2025 -- just four over the first 21 games.

Torres isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals.

Torres will grab a seat on the bench Saturday after going 3-for-10 with a run scored and a stolen base over the first two games of the series. His absence will put Colt Keith at second base and open a spot in the lineup for Javier Baez to start at the hot corner while batting eighth.

Ibanez went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-3 win over the Royals.

Ibanez launched his second home run of the season in the fourth inning, but he was then lifted for a pinch hitter in the fifth. The utility player is struggling a bit to begin the year with a .171 average and .627 OPS across 13 games. Ibanez can provide some fantasy value in spurts, though his role in Detroit comes with plenty of day-to-day volatility.

The Royals reinstated Canha (hip) from the injured list Saturday.

A left abductor strain sent Canha to the injured list April 9, and he'll now rejoin the active roster following a minimum-length stay on the IL. The 36-year-old veteran played three rehab games at Triple-A Omaha, during which he went 2-for-10 with three runs scored. With Canha fully healthy and MJ Melendez now in Triple-A, the former is likely to see increased playing time in left field going forward.

Pederson went 0-for-3 in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Dodgers.

Season-opening slumps tend to get more attention than ones in the middle of a season, but there's no sugar-coating Pederson's futility. Following Friday's game, he's 0-for-his-last-36 and is batting .057. If he qualified he would be last in the majors. To Pederson's credit, the slump hasn't resulted in him chasing -- his 24.8 chase percentage is below league average and less than his career norm (27.6). He is, however, topping a lot of balls and is experiencing a spike in groundball rate (56.4). Texas manager Bruce Bochy is standing behind the slugger and continues to put him third or fourth in the lineup.

The Royals optioned Melendez to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

Melendez has logged just one base hit across his last seven games and only three since the beginning of April. He'll now head to the minors in order to sort things out at the plate, making room on the active roster for Mark Canha (hip) to return from the IL.

Renfroe isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Detroit.

Renfroe is slashing just .130/.231/.152 on the season and has seen his playing time diminish recently as a result. He'll step aside again Saturday so Maikel Garcia can start in right field while Michael Massey covers second base, putting Salvador Perez at DH and Freddy Fermin behind the plate.

Melendez isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Detroit.

Melendez has now been absent from the starting nine in each of Kansas City's last three games, which indicates a change in the depth chart following a 4-for-47 start from the 26-year-old. Drew Waters will start in left field and bat seventh.

Harris started in left field and went 2-for-3 with a double and was caught stealing in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Dodgers.

Harris made a third consecutive start in left field, as Josh Smith (thumb), who was the primary fill-in for the injured Wyatt Langford (oblique) against right-handers, remained unavailable. Harris has hit safely in all three starts, going 5-for-11 with two doubles and two runs scored. Depending on Smith's status, Harris could find himself in the lineup for a fourth straight game Saturday with the Dodgers scheduled to throw righty Roki Sasaki.

Martinez started at second base and went 0-for-3 in Friday's 10-7 win over Pittsburgh.

With the regular outfield fully healthy, manager Stephen Vogt kept Martinez's bat in the lineup by moving him to the infield. Martinez initially filled in at center field for Lane Thomas and went 8-for-14 over his first four games following a call-up from Triple-A Columbus. Martinez has since gone 0-for-7 with starts in right field and second base. He can move between the infield and outfield and could remain in the majors if the bat continues to play.