Padres' Jake Cronenworth: Starting in spring opener

Cronenworth (wrist) will start at first base and bat third in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers.

Cronenworth didn't play after Aug. 25 last season due to a fractured right wrist, but he avoided surgery to address the injury and appears to have experienced no limitations thus far in spring training. With Xander Bogaerts making the move to second base in 2024 and Ha-Seong Kim entrenched as an everyday starter at shortstop, Cronenworth should see an even higher volume of starts at first base during the upcoming season than he did in 2023, when he made 94 starts at the position. Cronenworth is still expected to carry middle-infield eligibility in most leagues this season after he made 30 starts at the keystone in 2023.