MLB Player News
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Tyler Soderstrom C | ATH
Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom: Carries offense in loss
Soderstrom went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a loss to the Twins on Thursday.
Soderstrom got Oakland off to a strong start with a two-run blast in the second inning, but the team was unable to add any additional offense thereafter. The long ball gave the suddenly hot first baseman three homers over his past four games and extended his hitting streak to five contests. Soderstrom is slashing .353/.450/.882 with six RBI, five runs and a 3:2 BB:K over that stretch.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Breaks homer drought
Rizzo went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Royals.
The first baseman snapped a streak of 27 games without a long ball when he took John Schreiber deep in the eighth inning. Rizzo received back-to-back days off earlier this week for a mental reset, and he entered Thursday's game in a 2-for-37 slump during June. He currently sits at .223/.282/.344 slash line with eight home runs and 27 RBI for the season.
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Ty France 1B | TOR
Mariners' Ty France: Likely return when first eligible
France (heel) has a good chance of returning from the injured list when first eligible Tuesday, or very shortly thereafter, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.
The positive news was delivered by general manager Justin Hollander before Wednesday's game against the White Sox, and it represents a more optimistic outlook than when France first went on the injured list Sunday with what was diagnosed as a hairline fracture of the heel. France had posted a .308 average and 1.013 OPS over the last 12 games he played before the injury, so the hope for fantasy managers is a brief IL stay will up the chances of him carrying over that momentum.
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Ryan Mountcastle 1B | BAL
Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle: Getting afternoon off
Mountcastle is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against Atlanta.
Mountcastle will receive a breather for the day game after a night game, paving the way for Ryan O'Hearn to pick up a start at first base. The Orioles had included Mountcastle in the lineup for each of the last 14 games, with the 27-year-old slashing .273/.344/.564 with five home runs and 12 RBI over that stretch.
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Triston Casas 1B | BOS
Red Sox's Triston Casas: Taking slight swings
Casas (ribs) has begun taking slight swings off a tee, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.
Casas experienced lingering pain in the rib area when rotating his torso, which delayed his progression. Once Casas' slight swings lead to normal swings in a live batting practice, the Red Sox should have a better gauge for his return. He had originally planned to be ready when eligible June 21, but that has been pushed back to early July.
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Nolan Schanuel 1B | LAA
Angels' Nolan Schanuel: Posts three-hit effort in win
Schanuel went 3-for-5 with a double and one run scored in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Schanuel went just 5-for-52 (.096) over 15 games since his last multi-hit effort. The first baseman is up to a .216/.282/.338 slash line with seven home runs, 22 RBI, 20 runs scored, five doubles and no stolen bases over 59 contests. His batting average hasn't been higher than .250 all year, but his iffy contact and lack of speed have yet to cost him the opportunity to regularly bat leadoff. However, Michael Stefanic got a look atop the order in the previous two games before sitting out Wednesday. While Schanuel's spot in the lineup isn't in question, he could drop the down order soon if he goes back to struggling at the plate.
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Bobby Dalbec 1B | CHW
Red Sox's Bobby Dalbec: Could lose playing time soon
Dalbec will start at first base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Phillies.
Dalbec will stay in the lineup for the fourth time in five games, making his second start at first base during that stretch while the lefty-hitting Dominic Smith hits the bench against Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sanchez. Though Dalbec had also recently picked up starts at third base and in right field, he likely won't see many more opportunities at those positions moving forward after Masataka Yoshida returned from the injured list Tuesday and after Tyler O'Neill (knee) rejoined the lineup Wednesday following a three-game absence. Instead, Dalbec looks like he'll be stuck in the short side of a platoon with Smith.
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Dominic Smith 1B | SF
Red Sox's Dominic Smith: Drops out of lineup vs. lefty
Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.
With lefty Cristopher Sanchez on the hill for Philadelphia, the lefty-hitting Smith will hit the bench after starting in each of the last three contests. Bobby Dalbec will check in at first base Wednesday and could end up serving as Smith's regular platoon mate moving forward in the wake of Garrett Cooper being designated for assignment.
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Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Guardians' Josh Naylor: Goes deep in win
Naylor went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and two additional RBI in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Reds.
Naylor had an RBI single and drove in another run with a fielder's choice in the contest. While his bat is still quiet in June -- he's gone 5-for-32 (.156) over eight games -- he's still driven in eight RBI this month. Overall, the first baseman is slashing .224/.307/.483 with 17 homers, 50 RBI, 36 runs scored and three stolen bases through 62 contests.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Receiving day off
Guerrero is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.
With Daniel Vogelbach serving as Toronto's designated hitter and with Spencer Horwitz getting the nod at first base, Guerrero will hit the bench for the first time all season in what appears to be routine maintenance. Guerrero went hitless in nine at-bats over his first two games of the series to bring his batting average down to .282 for the season.