MLB Player News

Duran came into the day with a .216/.275/.297 line in 40 plate appearances. Of course, he doesn’t have anything to prove in March after finishing first in the AL in both doubles and triples on his way to an 8-WAR 2024 season. He had a quiet spring last year, too, winding up with a .718 OPS then.

Ornelas was recalled because Josh Jung is injured and Josh Smith hurt himself during Saturday’s game. Texas needed an extra infielder and Ornelas will do the job with Jung going on the injured list. Ornelas is in the lineup Sunday playing shortstop and batting eighth with Corey Seager getting a routine day off.

That’s the case even though all three games have been against right-handers. Julien had a solid spring, hitting .281/.349/.456, but the Twins seem to be prioritizing defense in using Willi Castro at second base and Harrison Bader in left field. Julien at second and Castro in left seems like a better alignment against righties.

Lee started against a lefty on Opening Day, but Thaiss, a left-handed hitter, has played over him against righties the last two days. It was expected that Lee would be displaced as the White Sox’s starting catcher at some point this season, but we assumed it would be for Kyle Teel or Edgar Quero over the summer and not by Thaiss on the first weekend of the season.

Sosa homered on Opening Day and has three hard-hit balls to one strikeout in two games, but it seems he needs the early day off anyway. Meanwhile, the White Sox have Nick Maton DHing for a second game in a row.

Melendez is off to an 0-for-6 start, and the Royals are playing Hunter Renfroe over him in right field today with Jonathan India in left. Melendez should be back in there Monday, as the Royals are slated to face right-handers all three games against the Brewers this week.

Bowman was sent outright to Triple-A after he didn’t make the Orioles’ bullpen this spring. He’s been selected to replace Albert Suarez, who hit the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation.

Suarez showed diminished velocity in his season debut Friday against the Blue Jays and now he winds up on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. Baltimore selected Matt Bowman’s contract to replace him in the Orioles’ bullpen.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters they expect Jung to be back after the minimum amount of time on the injured list. Josh Smith started at third base Saturday and had to leave the game after taking a tumble while trying to catch a foul pop up. Ezequiel Duran filled in for Smith, but now with Jung on the injured list the Rangers can add another infielder to the roster in a move we expect shortly.

Kurtz has been an absolute wrecking ball through two games at the Triple-A level, batting .571 (4-for-7) with a .667 on-base percentage. His first round-tripper of the season came off former big-league reliever John Curtiss and traveled 418 feet, per Statcast. The 22-year-old burgeoning slugger, who was selected fourth overall in last year’s MLB Draft, is probably the most complete hitting prospect in the minors by a considerable margin. There’s an argument that he’d be a middle-of-the-order force for the Athletics right now. It feels like only a matter of time before the front office will have no choice besides promoting him to the big leagues.