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Brad Lord Makes Nationals Roster While Angels Add Kyren Paris and Nicky Lopez and Luisangel Acuna and Marc Church Also Make Opening Day Squads

Matt TallariniMar 27, 20257 MIN READ
Luisangel Acuna throws to first base during a Mets vs Braves game in 2024

Brad Lord made the Washington Nationals’ Opening Day roster, while Kyren Paris broke camp with the Los Angeles Angels, and Nicky Lopez joined their infield mix. Marc Church earned a bullpen spot with the Texas Rangers, and Luisangel Acuna made the New York Mets’ roster as several MLB clubs finalized decisions ahead of Opening Day on March 27.

Brad Lord Makes Washington Nationals Opening Day Roster

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported on March 26 that right-handed reliever Brad Lord made the Nationals’ Opening Day roster.

Lord, 25, grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and Washington drafted him in the 18th round of the 2022 MLB Draft following his sophomore year at the University of South Florida.

In nine spring training appearances, Lord threw 13.1 innings and posted a 6.08 ERA, allowing 16 hits, nine earned runs, three walks, and eight strikeouts. He finished camp with a 0-1 record.

Lord is not currently on Washington’s 40-man roster, so the Nationals must make a corresponding move before Opening Day.

Over two seasons in the minor leagues, Lord posted a 14-10 record with a 3.15 ERA across 52 appearances and 43 starts. He threw 234.1 innings with one complete game and one shutout while allowing 217 hits, 82 earned runs, 12 home runs, 77 walks, and recording 213 strikeouts with a 1.255 WHIP.

Lord will compete for bullpen innings this spring alongside Jorge Lopez, Derek Law, Lucas Sims, Eduardo Salazar, Colin Poche, and Kyle Finnegan.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez and the front office will monitor Lord’s performance closely as they evaluate his fit into the relief corps early in the season.

Washington will open the 2025 season at home against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 27 at 4:05 p.m. EDT.

Kyren Paris Makes Angels Opening Day Roster

According to MiLB Central on March 26, Kyren Paris made the Los Angeles Angels’ Opening Day roster.

Paris, 23, was born in Oakland, California, and made his MLB debut on September 1, 2023, on the road against the Oakland Athletics.

In 36 big-league games with the Angels over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Paris batted .110 with 10 hits, two doubles, one home run, six RBI, four stolen bases, and 11 walks in 104 plate appearances.

Last season, Paris played 60 games between Double-A Rocket City and Triple-A Salt Lake and hit .209 with 29 hits, five doubles, two triples, four home runs, 19 RBI, eight stolen bases, 16 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 159 plate appearances.

During spring training, Paris broke out at the plate. In 23 games, he batted .400/.449/.667 with 18 hits, six doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI, four stolen bases, four walks, and 13 strikeouts in 49 plate appearances.

The Angels will open their season on the road against the Chicago White Sox on March 27 at 4:10 p.m. EDT.

Angels Add Nicky Lopez to Infield

The Angels signed Nicky Lopez to a one-year contract on March 25. The team has not yet released details of the deal.

Lopez, 30, is a left-handed hitter from Naperville, Illinois. He played in 124 games with the Chicago White Sox last season and hit .241 with 96 hits, 12 doubles, three triples, one home run, 21 RBI, five stolen bases, and a .606 OPS over 445 plate appearances.

In 2023, Lopez appeared in five games with Team Italy during the World Baseball Classic. He hit .474 across 19 at-bats with nine hits, one double, one triple, seven RBI, and one stolen base. Italy advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Japan at the Tokyo Dome under manager Mike Piazza.

Lopez began last season with the Braves after a July 30 trade from the Royals in exchange for lefty Taylor Hearn. Later that year, he was traded again to the White Sox, then released by the Cubs on March 21.

He appeared in nine spring training games with the Cubs, hitting .450 with nine hits, two doubles, four walks, and just two strikeouts in 24 plate appearances.

Angels manager Ron Washington will assess the club’s middle infield alignment, with Lopez expected to see time at shortstop alongside Luis Rengifo and Kevin Newman. Zach Neto is currently the frontrunner to start at short.

Marc Church Makes Texas Rangers Opening Day Roster

Michael Bier of Foul Territory reported on March 25 that Marc Church made the Texas Rangers’ Opening Day roster.

Church, 23, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and made his MLB debut with Texas on September 28, 2024, against the Angels. In that outing, he threw one inning, allowed one hit, and struck out one batter.

The Rangers drafted Church in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB Draft and signed him to an over-slot $300,000 bonus.

Church ranks No. 23 in the Rangers’ organization on MLB Pipeline. He spent four seasons in the minors, reaching Triple-A Round Rock in 2024. Over 119 appearances and two starts, he posted a 16-11 record with a 4.01 ERA, 11 saves, 164 innings pitched, 235 strikeouts, and a 1.317 WHIP.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy will evaluate how Church fits into a bullpen, including Jacob Webb, Chris Martin, Holby Milner, Shawn Armstrong, Luke Jackson, Gerson Garabito, and Robert Garcia.

Right-hander Josh Sborz remains on the 60-day injured list and is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Texas opens its season at home against the Boston Red Sox on March 27 at 4:05 p.m. EDT.

Luisangel Acuna Makes Mets Opening Day Roster

Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase reported on March 26 that infielder Luisangel Acuna made the New York Mets’ Opening Day roster.

Acuna, 23, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and is the younger brother of four-time All-Star Ronald Acuna Jr. He made his MLB debut with the Mets on September 14, 2024, on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies.

He played 14 games for the Mets last season and hit .308 with 12 hits, two doubles, one triple, three home runs, and six RBI in 40 plate appearances. He also appeared in nine postseason games, going hitless in three at-bats with two strikeouts.

Acuna spent most of the 2024 regular season at Triple-A Syracuse, where he batted .294 in 131 games with 141 hits, 20 doubles, six triples, seven home runs, 50 RBI, and 40 stolen bases across 587 plate appearances. He posted a .654 OPS.

This past offseason, Acuna played 30 games with the Cardenales de Lara in the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional and slashed .337/.419/.495 with 34 hits, five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 17 RBI, 18 stolen bases, and 11 walks in 119 plate appearances.

Across his five minor league seasons, including time with the Rangers and Mets organizations, Acuna has played 505 games and holds a career .280 batting average with 569 hits, 90 doubles, 16 triples, 41 home runs, 263 RBI, 198 stolen bases, and a .752 OPS over 2,278 plate appearances.

In the field, Acuna started 10 games at shortstop for the Mets last season, logging 89.2 innings with a .977 fielding percentage, turning three double plays with one error on 43 chances.

MLB Pipeline ranks Acuna No. 7 among the Mets’ Top 30 prospects. The Mets list Jeff McNeil as the starting second baseman on their 2025 depth chart, ahead of Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio. Acuna opens the season as the backup shortstop behind four-time All-Star Francisco Lindor.

The Mets will begin their 2025 season on the road against the Houston Astros on March 27 at 4:10 p.m. EDT.

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