MLB Player News

Slater will start in right field and bat leadoff in Friday's opener versus the Rockies.

Slater was just signed earlier this week and will immediately be thrown into the leadoff spot as the Marlins take on lefty Kyle Freeland. Slater will serve in a short-side platoon role for Miami.

The Rockies placed Moniak (finger) on the 10-day injured list Friday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Moniak injured his right ring finger Monday during an exhibition game while diving back into first base, and subsequent testing revealed a sprain. He will be eligible for activation April 3 -- which is the date of the Rockies' home opener -- but it's unclear whether he has a chance to return by then. Braxton Fulford will fill Moniak's spot on the roster.

Frelick went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, two walks and an additional run scored in Thursday's 14-2 win against the White Sox.

The 25-year-old has never been known for his power output -- his 12 homers during the 2025 regular season was the highest mark of his professional career -- but Frelick wasted no time going deep this year as he crushed a 407-foot shot to right field off Tyler Gilbert during the fifth inning of the season opener. Frelick likely reached close to his power ceiling last year, but his .288/.351/.405 slash line was strong in its own right, and he's off to a great start to 2026.

Young went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's win over the Cubs.

The light-hitting center fielder swatted a Ben Brown four-seamer the other way in the fourth inning, just clearing the right-field wall at Wrigley Field for the sixth homer of Young's career in his 304th MLB game. The 26-year-old is in the lineup for his glove, not his offensive contributions, after he slashed .231/.296/.287 over 364 plate appearances in 2025 with just two long balls and 15 steals in 26 attempts.

Robert went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and two RBI in Thursday's win over the Pirates.

Batting fifth in his Mets debut, Robert was a big part of an offensive eruption that saw his new team score 11 runs and chase Paul Skenes from the game in the first inning. Robert's athletic gifts have never been in question, but the 28-year-old center fielder has rarely been able to stay healthy during his career, playing more than 110 games only once in six seasons with the White Sox and struggling to a .223/.288/.372 slash line with a 29.7 percent strikeout rate in 2024-25. If he's able to stay in the lineup for New York, he's still capable of putting together a big campaign.

Benge went 1-for-3 with two walks, a solo home run, a second run scored and a stolen base in Thursday's win over the Pirates.

Starting in right field and batting eighth in his big-league debut, the 23-year-old top prospect got hold of a first-pitch sweeper from Justin Lawrence in the sixth inning and drove it into the bullpen in right-center field. In the process, Benge became just the second Met in history to homer on Opening Day in his first MLB game, joining Kazuo Matsui. Benge struck out in his other two plate appearances, but that won't take anything away from a dazzling debut as he makes a very early statement that he should viewed as a favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Stowers (hamstring) was able to throw, hit and run during a workout Wednesday, and he had no issues afterward, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old outfielder is beginning the season on the IL and will be re-evaluated in 3-to-4 weeks, meaning that Stowers will probably need at least a brief rehab assignment before he's ready to make his 2026 debut in late April or early May. If he continues to make good progress in his recovery, however, he could return on the short end of that estimate. The Marlins will miss having Stowers' bat in the lineup after he had a breakout 2025, slugging 25 homers with a .912 OPS in 117 contests.

Burleson went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, a walk and an additional run scored in Thursday's 9-7 win over the Rays.

The Cardinals lost several key hitters this offseason, as Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado have all gone elsewhere, but Burleson opened the season as St. Louis' No. 3 hitter and should maintain strong RBI upside from this spot. The 27-year-old hit a career-high .290 with 18 homers, 26 doubles and 69 RBI over 497 regular-season at-bats a year ago, and he's off to a fast start in 2026 with his Opening Day long ball.

Pages went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run Thursday in an 8-2 win against the Diamondbacks.

Los Angeles was trailing 2-0 before Pages turned the game upside-down with his three-run blast off Zac Gallen in the fifth inning. The homer gave Pages a promising start to the season following a 2025 campaign during which he broke through with a .774 OPS, 27 home runs, 86 RBI and 14 stolen bases across 156 regular-season games. Pages is firmly entrenched as the Dodgers' primary center fielder, and he should have plenty of chances to produce amidst a loaded Los Angeles lineup.

Laureano went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss to Detroit.

The Padres couldn't get much going against Tarik Skubal and three other Tigers pitchers, but Laureano did connect on a 423-foot solo shot off reliever Drew Anderson in the seventh inning. That ensured the veteran outfielder had a promising beginning to the campaign after he tied a career-high mark with 24 long balls during the 2025 regular season. Laureano should have a near-everyday role in left field and could be a productive fantasy asset this season if he's able to build upon his strong 2025 showing.