MLB Player News

Cron is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Indians.

After a string of four straight starts with lefties on the mound for the opposition, Cron retreated to the bench for Tuesday's series opener, as righty Mike Clevinger took the hill for the Tribe. Cron will sit again Wednesday in favor of Luis Valbuena with another righty in Carlos Carrasco on the mound, so it appears safe to conclude that Cron is still on the short end of a platoon at first base.

Gurriel moved from first base to third when Alex Bregman left during the middle of Tuesday's win with a hamstring injury.

Normally, manager A.J. Hinch would rejigger his lineup to have Marwin Gonzalez play third base, but he's needed to cover shortstop for the injured Carlos Correa (thumb). If Bregman's injury lingers, Gurriel or Tyler White can handle the hot-corner duties. Gurriel is batting .293 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI through 87 games.

Santana went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and three runs scored during Monday's win over Cincinnati.

The pair of long flies bring Santana's total to 12 for the campaign. He had just a single homer through his previous 24 games, and his .241/.340/.423 slash line also underwhelms. However, he's buoyed his fantasy value with 52 RBI and 55 runs. While Santana will be hard-pressed to match last season's 34 homers at this stage of the game, he's still a serviceable fantasy asset in most settings.

Olson was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville on Monday.

With the Athletics back in American League ballparks for the time being, the team doesn't need as much position-player depth as before. As a result, Olson will head back to the minors after only making a pair of pinch-hitting appearances. Reliever Josh Smith will replace him on the active roster.

Abreu went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and an RBI in Sunday's 5-4 loss to Kansas City.

Abreu drove in the go-ahead run with a fifth-inning double, but a late-inning Royals rally erased that advantage. The Cuban-born slugger is on pace to top his old career high of 35 doubles with 26 in 94 games. He still has a shot at a fourth consecutive season with at least 25 home runs and 100 RBI after accruing 16 and 60, respectively, to date.

Cron will start at first base and bat fifth Sunday against the Red Sox.

Cron will draw his fourth consecutive start Sunday, and though he's performed respectably with four hits in 12 at-bats over the previous three contests, the run of regular playing time should soon come to an end. The Angels had a spot open in the lineup for Cron the last three games with the Red Sox having deployed a left-handed starting pitcher in each of those contests, resulting in platoon mate Luis Valbuena hitting the bench. Valbuena is back in the lineup Sunday, but he'll play third while Cron covers first base due to Albert Pujols receiving a routine day off for rest.

Santana will start at first base and lead off for the Indians in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

Santana manned the leadoff spot for the Indians' first 35 games, but after slashing just .227/.331/.383 during that time, manager Terry Francona moved him down in the order. With rookie Bradley Zimmer getting the day off Sunday, Santana will slot back in atop the lineup for the first time since May 13, but it remains likely that he'll bat sixth or seventh more often than not for games in which Zimmer is in the lineup.

Gurriel went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer Saturday against the Orioles.

Gurriel's 13th blast of the year started a five-run rally in the sixth inning that led the Astros to victory. He's homered in consecutive games and he continues to provide fantasy owners with an excellent .298 batting average along with a .502 slugging percentage.

Abreu took grounders at third base prior to Saturday's game against the Royals, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

According to Merkin, Abreu looked very fluid at third base, but this would still be a pretty big change if the White Sox end up actually trying him at the hot corner in game action. He has only ever played first base or DH in the big leagues, and would likely have well below-average range at third base. It's also not like the White Sox are blocking some stud first baseman when they play Abreu at first base, so it's hard to see the logic behind giving Abreu starts across the diamond. Nonetheless, if he does somehow add third base eligibility in certain formats, his value would see a slight bump heading into next season.

Gurriel went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer Friday against the Orioles.

Gurriel blasted his 12th homer of the year to open up a three-run lead for the Astros in the first inning of a winning effort. The 33-year-old has become a much better hitter in his second year in the majors, as he's posting an excellent .300 batting average along with a solid .497 slugging percentage, making him an excellent value for fantasy owners.