MLB Player News

Cron (foot) is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Barring any setbacks during the rehab games, Cron is expected to rejoin the Angels shortly after he's eligible to return from the disabled list May 9. With Luis Valbuena also back from injury, it remains unclear what kind of playing time Cron will see at first base upon activation.

Calhoun went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to the Mariners.

His shot off Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning, his fourth long ball of the year, brought the Angels to within one run, but his teammates couldn't complete the comeback. Calhoun has now homered in three straight games and has five multi-hit performances in the last week, giving him an impressive .353/.371/.647 slash line over that seven-game stretch.

Abreu went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Royals.

Abreu knocked his third homer of the season, all coming in the last nine games, a stretch in which he's hit .400 (14-for-35) with six extra-base hits. The 30-year-old has broken out of his April slump.

Tellez, 22, is slashing just .198/.298/.333 with three home runs and eight RBI through 21 games for Triple-A Buffalo.

Edwin Encarnacion is long gone and Justin Smoak has been merely adequate, but this is not the type of start that will get the Blue Jays thinking of handing Tellez the keys to first base. Tellez remains the first baseman of the future for the Jays, but a call-up is anything but imminent.

Gurriel is out of Wednesday's lineup against the Rangers.

After really heating up in the second half of April, Gurriel is in the midst of a 2-for-14 stretch over his last four games. Marwin Gonzalez will get the start at first base and hit seventh against righty Nick Martinez.

Calhoun went 1-for-6 with a two-run home run -- his second in as many days -- in an extra-inning win over the Mariners on Tuesday.

The veteran outfielder was ice cold to start the season, but he has been heating up over the past week, batting .345 (10-for-29) with two homers and four RBI in his last six contests. Calhoun's batting average (.250) and on-base percentage (.325) have returned to normal levels, but his .361 slugging percentage is well below his career average. His current power surge proves that the 29-year-old can still hit the ball with authority, so better days are ahead.

Carter is in the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays, playing first base and batting eighth, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

The defending National League home run king seems to be in line for regular starts now that Greg Bird (ankle) is on the disabled list, and Tuesday's lineup is consistent with that notion. Carter's spot in the order is less than ideal, however, so expectations should be tempered until he proves he can put up solid numbers from such a disadvantageous spot in the lineup.

Diaz enjoyed a career night at the plate with five RBI for Triple-A Columbus in Monday's 6-1 victory over Louisville.

Last year, Diaz hit .318/.408/.446 with 35 extra-base hits and 58 RBI in 121 games with Double-A Akron and Columbus en route to being named an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star. The 25-year-old made his major-league debut for the Tribe in April, managing a .236/.295/.255 line over 15 games. Since returning to Columbus, the organization's No. 8 prospect is hitting .382 through nine contests.

Cron (foot) was diagnosed with just a foot contusion after examinations found no further damage, the Orange County Register reports.

The Angels are expecting a swift return from the disabled list as a result. Cron is eligible to return May 9 against the Athletics, but the question is who will get the playing time at first base following the return of the also-injured Luis Valbuena.

Calhoun went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Sunday's 5-2 win over Texas.

Despite Calhoun's slow start to the year and mediocre .255/.333/.343 slash line, he does have multi-hit games in four of his last five and appears to be heating up for his owners. The left-handed-hitting outfielder should be a decent source of runs and RBI in the Angels lineup, but don't expect him to return to the 20-homer mark. Still, he should be owned in all mixed formats despite his slow start.