MLB Baseball 24 Hours

Last updated: April 3, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

MLB Player Movements & Lineup Notes

The Seattle Mariners activated shortstop J.P. Crawford from the 10-day injured list on Thursday, marking his return after he began the season sidelined with a right shoulder issue, injecting a key defender back into the lineup. Elsewhere in the American League, the Kansas City Royals scratched catcher Carter Jensen from Thursday's game against the Twins after an unusual pre-game issue arose when the player overslept. On the comeback trail, former Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer agreed to terms with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, and is slated to make his debut pitching opening night on April 21 for the minor league club.

Season Outlooks & Historical Context

While attention focuses on the present, historical footnotes continue to surface, such as an incredibly rare on-field accomplishment that went largely unnoticed during the Chicago Cubs' 2016 World Series championship run. Meanwhile, contenders are already setting high internal benchmarks; the Los Angeles Dodgers face internal pressure to translate regular-season dominance—potentially including a 117-win pace or utilizing 40 different pitchers—into deep October success, separating early-season noise from true championship contention narratives.