MLB Player News
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Kole Calhoun 1B | CLE
Angels' Kole Calhoun: Collects two extra-base hits
Calhoun went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Oakland.
It was Calhoun's first long ball of 2019 and his second multi-hit game already. He had just two extra-base hits at the end of April last season but now has four before April has even started. Calhoun could be getting back to his 2015-16 form which would be terrific for fantasy owners.
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Carlos Santana 1B | ARI
Indians' Carlos Santana: Delivers first RBI of season
Santana went 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Sunday's loss to Minnesota.
The Twins were unable to get Santana out in the series finale, and he plated all three of his team's runs on the day in the eighth inning on a double to left field. The 32-year-old first baseman is off to a hot start at the dish through three games (5-for-10), although his team will search to get back on track starting Monday against the White Sox after dropping two of the first three contests of 2019.
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Asdrubal Cabrera 1B | CIN
Rangers' Asdrubal Cabrera: Big night against Cubs
Cabrera went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, a two-run homer and a second run scored in an 8-6 win over the Cubs on Saturday.
After an 0-for-4 showing in his Rangers debut Thursday, Cabrera flashed his power by taking Yu Darvish deep in the second inning. The 33-year-old has slugged 60 homers over the last three seasons, and with regular at-bats in Globe Life Park ahead, Cabrera should have little trouble being productive once again.
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Jose Abreu 1B | HOU
White Sox's Jose Abreu: Goes deep in loss
Abreu went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Saturday's 8-6 loss to Kansas City.
The White Sox did little at the dish until Abreu's shot in the sixth inning breathed life into a listless offense. The homer was the first of the season for Abreu and the White Sox. The 32-year-old was an automatic 100 RBI during his first four seasons but finished with just 78 in 2018 due to injuries.
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Ryan O'Hearn 1B | PIT
Royals' Ryan O'Hearn: Still primary option at first base
O'Hearn will start at first base and bat fifth Saturday against the White Sox.
O'Hearn finished his rookie season as the Royals' everyday first baseman and acquitted himself well with 12 home runs and a .262 average in 170 plate appearances, so it was fairly surprising when he was on the bench for Thursday's season opener. Fortunately for O'Hearn, he still looks on track to see the bulk of the starts at the position, as manager Ned Yost said Saturday that he would employ a loose platoon at first base, according to Rustin Dodd of The Athletic. As the left-handed hitter, O'Hearn should occupy the larger side of any platoon, while the righty-hitting Frank Schwindel checks into the starting nine versus southpaws.
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Carlos Santana 1B | ARI
Indians' Carlos Santana: Acting as cleanup hitter
Santana will start at first base and man the cleanup spot Saturday against the Twins, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Santana also served as the Tribe's No. 4 hitter in Thursday's season opener and looks poised to remain in that spot at least until both of Jason Kipnis (calf) and Francisco Lindor (calf/ankle) are back from the injured list. The 32-year-old switch hitter has been a paragon of durability throughout his career and owns one of the more bankable power profiles in the game, having finished with no fewer than 18 home runs or 74 RBI in any of the past eight seasons.
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Yandy Diaz 1B | TB
Rays' Yandy Diaz: Launches first homer
Diaz went 2-for-4 with a home run Friday against Houston.
Diaz tacked on an insurance run in the sixth inning with his first homer of the 2019 campaign and just the second of his big-league career. The 27-year-old will continue to see opportunities at the hot corner until Matt Duffy (hamstring) returns to health.
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Rowdy Tellez 1B | ATL
Blue Jays' Rowdy Tellez: On bench Friday
Tellez is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers.
Tellez started at designated hitter in Thursday's season opener and went 0-for-2 with one walk and one strikeout. Randal Grichuk will serve as the designated hitter Friday with Billy McKinney starting in right field, pushing Tellez to the bench. The 23-year-old has a clearer path to at-bats following the trade of Kendrys Morales, but he still seems unlikely to be used in an everyday role right out of the gate.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Promotion won't be delayed
Guerrero (oblique) is expected to play in games at extended spring training this weekend, and Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said Thursday the prospect is on an "accelerated time frame," Tom Ruminski of thescore.ca reports.
"We just need to get him healthy first and need to address the other things that we mentioned at the outset of spring training, perhaps the things that led to that injury. You know, ensuring that his routines are major-league caliber and ensuring that he has the proper foundation under him when he comes up here," Shapiro said. "We've said all along, he's on an expedited time frame ... we are not holding him back, we're speeding him up." That still doesn't answer the question of exactly when Guerrero will make his MLB debut, but it's looking more and more like the spring oblique injury won't change his original timetable for promotion all that much.
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Luke Voit 1B | NYM
Yankees' Luke Voit: Hot start to 2019
Voit went 1-for-1 with a home run, four RBI and two walks in Thursday's season opener against Baltimore.
Voit got off to a strong start by launching a three-run blast in the first inning. He plated his fourth run of the day the easy way, by being struck by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth. Voit batted cleanup for the Yankees on Opening Day, and although skipper Aaron Boone has yet to confirm that Voit will remain in this slot going forward, his early success certainly won't hurt his chances of sticking in the No. 4 spot.