MLB Player News

The Phillies’ leadoff man doubled off of Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the opening inning, swiped third base and scored the game’s first run on a throwing error. He also worked a walk to lead off the sixth inning. The dynamic 31-year-old shortstop is still searching for his first home run of the season but is now hitting .313 (5-for-16) with a pair of runs scored, one RBI and two stolen bases.

The initial lineup showed Carroll hitting leadoff, but Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters there was a “typo.” We can’t relate. Ketel Marte will remain at the top against Bryce Elder and the Atlanta bullpen.

Schmitt was a late scratch Friday due to tightness in his back, and the 27-year-old will sit to begin Saturday’s game as well. Jerar Encarnacion is hitting ninth and playing first in Schmitt’s absence.

This is likely a corresponding move with Cade Horton (forearm) assuredly heading to the injured list. Martin will have a chance to make his MLB debut as a 28-year-old as a member of the Chicago bullpen.

No surprise here, especially with temperatures in Minnesota hovering around 30 degrees with a chance of snow in the forecast. Buxton will get some extra time off to rest and recover this weekend after being suffering a forearm contusion when he was hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of Friday’s showdown against the Rays. The encouraging news for the Twins, and fantasy managers, is that initial X-rays came back negative for any fractures. The 32-year-old fantasy stalwart is presumably day-to-day heading into Sunday’s series finale. It’ll be James Outman patrolling center field in his absence.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has flipped Carroll and Ketel Marte in the batting order with the latter off to a dismal 5-for-30 start at the plate through eight games. The move hopefully is able to jump-start Marte with the added benefit of getting Carroll a few additional plate appearances to do some damage.

It’s notable that Fernandez is getting an opportunity at the cold corner with veteran Carlos Santana off to a frigid .043 (1-for-23) start through seven games. The 22-year-old rookie has gone 3-for-9 with two homers and four RBI through three games since being called up earlier this week.

Fitzgerald bolsters Toronto’s middle infield depth behind Ernie Clement and Andrés Giménez after being removed from San Francisco’s 40-man roster earlier this week. The 28-year-old second baseman posted a lackluster .606 OPS with four homers and nine steals in 72 games for the Giants last year on the heels of a breakout campaign the previous season where he compiled an .831 OPS with 15 big flies and 17 thefts in 96 contests. He’s a worthwhile low-risk stash at Triple-A Buffalo in the event that injuries strike later this season.

Sousa was a key component of Houston’s high-leverage mix last year and appears to be getting close to returning after opening the season on the shelf with an oblique strain. The 30-year-old southpaw should be cleared for a minor league rehab assignment at some point soon.

Steele continues to make gradual progress in his recovery from last season’s Tommy John surgery. He’s nearly a calendar year removed from the procedure at this juncture and should be ready for a minor league rehab assignment at some point later this month. He’s on track to return to Chicago’s rotation at some point in May or June, barring any setbacks.

There are some technical hurdles the Orioles will need to navigate in the coming days, but it seems logical that Povich will be an option to start Monday’s series opener against the White Sox in place of an injured Zach Eflin (elbow). The assumption was that Dean Kremer would get the call, but it sounds like Povich is going to get the first shot here.