MLB Player News

“He fits the spot because he has the ability to take pitches, he drives the ball the other way and he’s a guy that can hit,” Yost said. “This kid has hit everywhere. And if it works out, he’s the best candidate for it.” Kansas City’s No. 2 slot is open, due to Melky Cabrera’s exit to the Giants. However, to claim it, Giavotella will first have to beat out Chris Getz for the starting second base job. Alex Gordon will likely bat leadoff again. “We’ll see what develops,” Yost said. “I like Gordy leading off. I like somebody with some pop in his bat coming up when the lineup comes back around. He was our best on-base guy last year, and he can do a lot of things -- drive the ball out of the park, drive the gaps, .300 hitter, takes his walks, works the pitcher. He does everything you want a leadoff guy to do.”

Allard rejoins Cleveland’s pitching staff prior to Monday’s series opener against the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers after a brief Triple-A hiatus. The 28-year-old southpaw recorded a strong 2.63 ERA across 65 innings for Cleveland last year. He’ll likely operate in a swingman-type capacity as a long reliever or occasional spot starter.

Nikhazy has been removed from Cleveland’s 40-man roster to make room for lefty swingman Kolby Allard. The 26-year-old made two made two appearances for Cleveland last season, allowing six runs over four innings of work. It’s possible he’ll garner some interest on waivers as organizational depth.

Fernandez receives his first call up to the big leagues with Pavin Smith hitting the injured list with an elbow issue. The 22-year-old shortstop provides Arizona with some additional bench depth but is unlikely to play enough to matter fantasy-wise.

Arizona finally decided to give Smith an extended break after dealing with elbow soreness since last week’s season-opener. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern considering he was able to play through the issue.

This explains why Polanco has been limited to DH in back-to-back contests with Jared Young and Brett Baty taking turns at first base. The positive news is that the 32-year-old isn’t dealing with anything knee-related since those issues have plagued him in the past. It sounds like a manageable situation for the Mets as they continue to exercise caution with their new first baseman in the early portion of the year.

This makes it three consecutive different top-of-the-order lineup combinations for first-year skipper Tony Vitello with Adames, who is 1-for-11 at the dish this season, in the leadoff spot after Jung Hoo Lee got a chance following a pair of appearances from contact-oriented specialist Luis Arraez. It’ll be the first time as the top-of-the-order table-setter for Adames this season after mostly hitting second or third last year in his San Francisco debut. The Giants were swept by the Yankees in their season-opening series, scoring just one run combined during the three-game set at Oracle Park.

The move frees up a spot on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster following the acquisition of former prospect Luis Matos from the Giants. The 27-year-old lefty holds a respectable 5.12 ERA — 5.05 xERA — 1.71 WHIP and 37/24 K/BB ratio across 45 2/3 innings in the majors since 2023. There should be some interest on waivers in the coming days.

Raleigh will get a chance to reset mentally, instead of facing Yankees southpaw Ryan Weathers, after going an ice-cold 2-for-15 with one RBI and 10 strikeouts during a four-game series against the Guardians to open the regular season. There are obviously zero concerns fantasy-wise when it comes to the 29-year-old slugging backstop on the heels of a 60-homer campaign where he rewrote the offensive record book for catchers. It’s only a matter of time before he heats up. It’ll be Mitch Garver handling the catching duties on Monday night in his place.

Murakami finds himself in the prime spot on Chicago manager Will Venable’s lineup card for the second consecutive game. The 26-year-old offseason acquisition has homered in three straight games to begin his major-league career. It’s an extremely small sample size, but the over-the-fence pop is very real. The biggest question is going to be how Murakami adjusts once the league starts to get a book on him. For now, he looks like a viable mixed-league option in all fantasy formats, even with the strikeout concerns.

Hamilton collected three stolen bases in a pair of games during Milwaukee’s season-opening series against the White Sox. He gets the nod at shortstop with Joey Ortiz getting the night off in this one. The 28-year-old utility infielder stole 55 bases in 189 games for the Red Sox over the past two seasons and could be a sneaky steals source in deeper mixed leagues, especially if the Brewers are going to hand him a semi-regular role.