4 from area on major-league opening-day rosters

Three players with Placer County ties are on major-league baseball rosters to open the season, which began Wednesday night with the New York Yankees defeating Rocklin graduate Logan Webb and the host San Francisco Giants 7-0. The Yankees pounded Webb for seven runs and nine hits in five innings in his fifth consecutive Opening Day start. Webb is coming off an impressive showing on the international stage, where he made two starts for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Webb allowed one earned run over 8⅔ innings, which included four innings in a win over Brazil and 4⅔ scoreless frames in a quarterfinal victory against Canada. Last season, Webb led MLB with 34 starts and 207 innings pitched and led the National League with a career-high 224 strikeouts. He earned a Gold Glove award as well. Rocklin product Nick Mears is gearing up for his fourth season in the big leagues as he joins the Kansas City Royals bullpen after being traded in December. Last season for the Milwaukee Brewers, Mears made 63 appearances in relief, compiling a 5-3 record with a 3.49 ERA, 46 strikeouts and one save across 56⅓ innings. Mears made three postseason appearances for Milwaukee last season, striking out three in 1⅔ innings. Daniel Susac, a Roseville native and former Lincoln Potter, opens the season on the Giants' roster after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft in December. Originally a first-round pick by the Athletics in 2022, Susac earned the opportunity after a strong Triple-A season in Las Vegas, where he hit .275 with 18 home runs and ranked among the team leaders in hits and RBIs. Now with San Francisco, Susac follows a family connection to the organization as brother Andrew was part of the Giants' 2014 World Series team. Susac is the first Potter to reach the majors. Nathan Lukes, a former Center High School standout, is back with the Toronto Blue Jays after a breakout season. Last season, Lukes had 438 plate appearances and hit .255 with 12 home runs in 388 at-bats. He carried that momentum into October, batting .274 in 17 postseason games with 17 hits, eight RBIs and five runs scored as he helped lead the Blue Jays to the American League pennant.