MLB Player News

Bride is starting at third base and batting eighth in Friday's game versus the Pirates, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Bride was a late addition to the Opening Day roster after the Marlins traded Jon Berti, and he winds up getting a start in the club's second game against left-hander Martin Perez. Jake Burger is sliding over to first base and Josh Bell will be the designated hitter.

Scott went 0-for-3 with a stolen base in Thursday's 7-1 loss to the Dodgers.

Scott got aboard on an error in the fifth inning and immediately showcased the speed that has had him on the fast track to the majors. He'll still need to show his bat is up to the challenge now that the games count. Scott hit .317 in spring training, but the regular season is a different beast. He'll get an extended audition while Tommy Edman (wrist) and Dylan Carlson (shoulder) are out. Scott shouldn't be too far away from a full-time major-league gig, but it wouldn't be surprising if he gets time at Triple-A after skipping over that level of the minors due to the Cardinals' injury problems.

The Cubs signed Casali to a minor-league contract Friday.

Casali was released by the Marlins earlier this week after failing to crack their Opening Day roster. The veteran backstop will head to Triple-A Iowa for now, where he will be the third catcher on the organizational depth chart behind Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya.

Vieira is included on the Brewers' 26-man active roster for Friday's season opener versus the Mets.

Vieira finished the 2023 season on the injured list due to a right calf strain, but he was fully healthy for spring training and posted a 3.52 ERA and 13:5 K:BB in 7.2 innings during Cactus League play to secure his spot on the Opening Day roster. Though closer Devin Williams (back) is expected to be sidelined for the first two-plus months of the season, Vieira is unlikely to factor into the mix for saves given his limited body of work in the majors and the control issues that he's exhibited at every stop of his professional career. That being said, Vieira brings premium velocity to the table and should be a strong source of strikeouts on a per-inning basis even if he's relegated to a middle-relief role for Milwaukee.

Merrifield is not the lineup for Friday's game against Atlanta. However, with the Phillies set to face lefties Saturday and Sunday, Merrifield will likely be in the lineup, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson described Merrifield as effectively the baseball equivalent of a sixth man in the NBA. Merrifield seems confident that he will force the skipper's hand and end up as a regular, as he reportedly told Thomson before signing that he would work himself into the lineup. The 35-year-old Merrifield enjoyed a resurgence last season in Toronto and will be the top backup at several positions, at least for now.

The Rockies placed Bard (knee) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Bard missed the entirety of spring training after undergoing a cleanup procedure on his left knee in mid-February. According to MLB.com, the right-hander also received platelet-rich plasma injections in his forearm this offseason, but working his way back from the knee procedure seems to be the veteran reliever's chief concern. Bard had been scheduled to resume throwing bullpen sessions this week, and he could be ready to face hitters at some point in the first or second week of April before heading out on a rehab assignment. Heading into spring training, he was expected to factor into the Rockies' unsettled closer picture, but Justin Lawrence and Tyler Kinley now look to be the top candidates for saves.

Rojas is starting in center field and batting ninth in Friday's opener against Atlanta.

Rojas had a rough spring training, slashing just .170/.214/.264 while working on swing changes. He'll have to provide some value with his bat in order to keep his starting job, but the Phillies have enough confidence in Rojas' defense that he should receive a bit of time to get going.

Moll (shoulder) was sent to Triple-A Louisville on Friday to begin a rehab assignment, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Moll was sidelined for most of spring training due to a shoulder impingement and has opened the season on the 15-day injured list. The early assignment to Triple-A suggests he should be able to join the Reds by the middle of April.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday that it would be 1-2 weeks before a throwing program for Senga (shoulder) is laid out, Joe Pantorno of amNewYork reports.

Senga was cleared to begin playing catch Wednesday and will do that every other day for the time being. Previous reports indicated that Senga's ramp-up period would likely take at least six weeks, and that rough timeline still appears to be intact. He's coming back from a right shoulder capsule strain.

Kim went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run and a stolen base in Thursday's 6-4 win against the Giants.

Kim has reached base four times -- three via walk -- through three games this season, and he's stolen a base on half of those occasions. He recorded a career-high 38 steals in 47 attempts last year and appears to have the green light to run frequently this season. Kim has yet to get his bat going with just one hit in 10 at-bats, but the thefts have helped highlight what he can provide for fantasy managers.