MLB Player News

Mauer is recovering from surgery on his left knee, and will likely be eased back into the Twins’ lineup upon his return. That said, he is still a good bet to be one of the better rookies in the AL this season.

Nothing has changed in Madden’s outlook, this was merely done as a procedural move to free up a spot on the team’s 40-man roster for the addition of Brewer Hicklen on Friday. Madden is still in the process of working his way back from a right shoulder strain that he suffered early in spring camp.

The Tigers are facing a slew of injuries in their outfield and the Brewers had designated Hicklen for assignment on Thursday, so this move makes a ton of sense. He was optioned to Triple-A Toledo for the time being, but don’t be surprised to see him get an opportunity in Motown at some point early in the season.

It was noticeable to see Brown sitting against a right-hander on Opening Day in favor of Miguel Andujar, but the 32-year-old slugger is in there as the left fielder against righty Luis Castillo on Friday. He’ll bat sixth, sandwiched between Tyler Soderstrom and Gio Urshela.

It’s the second straight start for the dynamic 22-year-old rookie second baseman. It’s telling, because both starts have been against right-handers, so if there was any type of platoon situation with David Hamilton going on, we may have seen Hamilton in one of these games. It looks like the Red Sox are going to let Campbell run with the gig and see what he can do, which fantasy managers should unanimously approve of.

We saw Luisangel Acuña draw the start on Opening Day against an opposing left-hander and now Baty is in there with Hunter Brown toeing the slab for the Astros on Friday night. It seems like this will be a straight platoon situation with Baty getting the strong side of the at-bats there, making him an interesting middle infield option in deeper mixed leagues for the time being.

Rodriguez is throwing his first bullpen in over a month, as he’s been dealing with elbow inflammation and was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday. The right-hander will need at least a couple of these sessions and several rehab starts, but this is a positive step for the 25-year-old.

Mateo gets his first start of the year after coming in as a replacement for Thursday’s opener. The 29-year-old dealt with an elbow injury this spring, but is obviously feeling better. Jackson Holliday slides back to second base, and Ramon Urias will open the contest on the bench.

Rodriguez is on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, and there’s no timetable for a return just yet. The fact he’s resumed throwing is an obvious positive, however, and it’s possible this could lead to a bullpen in the coming days.

It’s great to see Henderson in the lineup, even if it’s not at the level that will help fantasy managers. The 23-year-old star will likely play in a handful of games with Norfolk before hopefully rejoining the O’s in the middle of April.

Clement started at the hot corner Thursday, but the Blue Jays will have Will Wagner man third base Friday. Wagner was the DH for the opener, but Anthony Santander will be the designated hitter in this one with Nathan Lukes getting the start in center.