MLB Player News

Cron (back) is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Rangers, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.

Cron will work as a reserve for the second time in as many days due to the sore back he is dealing with. He was able to pinch hit Sunday, so he might not be out of the lineup much longer.

Arias went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 9-2 win over the Rays.

Arias is hitting just .161 (5-for-31) in August, a quick downturn after he appeared to be heating up in late July. The infielder is at a .201/.291/.333 slash line with six homers, 12 RBI, 19 runs scored and a stolen base over 213 plate appearances. Arias has a path to playing time at first base in the near term, a position he may have to share with Kole Calhoun while also battling with Brayan Rocchio and Jose Tena for time at shortstop.

Solano (knee) is serving as Minnesota's designated hitter and batting leadoff Sunday against Philadelphia

Solano was removed from Tuesday's game against the Tigers with a sprained right knee and will now return after a four-game absence. The 35-year-old was on a nice hot streak at the plate before getting injured, going 8-for-16 with two RBI and four runs scored since Aug. 1.

Cron has been dealing with back tightness, which was a factor in his removal during the sixth inning of Saturday's game and his absence from Sunday's lineup, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Angels manager Phil Nevin indicated after Saturday's loss that he was bothered by how Cron looked while getting out of the way of a pitch, leading to the first baseman's early removal from the contest. Cron has just three hits while striking out 11 times over his past 22 at-bats, though it's not clear if the back issue has anything to do with those struggles. The veteran slugger should be considered day-to-day for the time being.

Cron isn't in the Angels' lineup Sunday against the Astros, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Cron hasn't performed to his usual standard since joining the Angels, slashing just .190/.261/.262 across 46 plate appearances in 12 games. He'll take a day off Sunday while Mike Moustakas fills in at first base, allowing Eduardo Escobar to start at third.

Torkelson went 4-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Red Sox.

Torkelson turned in his first four-hit game of the season and third home run over the last four games. For the year, the 23-year-old is now up to 18 long balls, though he's batting just .229. The skills are there, however, for Torkelson to push that average upward the rest of the way, especially if he strings together a few more multi-hit performances.

O'Hearn went 0-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's 1-0 win over the Mariners.

O'Hearn has three steals this season, two of which have come in his last eight games. While he's been a pleasant surprise for the Orioles this season, he's cooled off by hitting .207 (6-for-29) over 10 games in August. O'Hearn is at a .294/.330/.491 slash line with nine home runs, 39 RBI, 28 runs scored and 15 doubles through 230 plate appearances. He's seen time at first base, right field and left field over the last week as manager Brandon Hyde has gotten creative to keep O'Hearn's bat in the lineup.

Abreu was placed on the 10-day injured list with lower-back inflammation Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Abreu received two cortisone shots to address the issue Friday, but he'll also need at least 10 days to rest and heal. Back issues may be part of the reason Abreu has slashed just .234/.291/.343 in his first season in Houston, so it's possible better things await down the stretch if his time off fully heals the issue. David Hensley was called up to take his place on the roster, while Jon Singleton is set to start at first base Saturday for the third straight game.

Noda (jaw) will take live batting practice Saturday, the Associated Press reports.

Noda was originally slated to take live batting practice Tuesday against Mason Miller (elbow) before it was determined he'd wait a few more days. The recovering rookie is apparently now ready to step back into the batter's box and take some hacks, and if all goes well, he could be set for activation in the coming days without the need for a rehab assignment.

Casas went 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run in Friday's 5-2 win over the Tigers.

Casas caught all of Tarik Skubal's slider that stayed over the middle of the plate for a no-doubter in the fourth inning. It increased Boston's one-run lead to 4-0. The homer was Casas' 10th since the All-Star break. The Red Sox were patient with the first baseman, whose average was under .200 through the middle of June. He's hitting .253/.353/.488 for the season.