MLB Player News
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Michael Busch 3B | CHC
Cubs' Michael Busch: Tallies two hits, steals base
Busch went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Monday's 3-1 win over the Brewers. He also stole a base.
Busch tallying two hits isn't surprising, as he's batting a solid .270 this season and .313 this month. However, the stolen base is a bit more unusual, as it was just his second of the year and first since May 10. Even without being a threat on the bases, Busch has been a solid fantasy asset, and he should continue to produce given his regular role in the heart of the Cubs' lineup.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Marlins' Josh Bell: Slugs 10th homer
Bell went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and an additional RBI in Monday's loss to the Mets.
Bell took Mets starter David Peterson deep in the fifth inning before adding an RBI groundout in the ninth. The 31-year-old has struggled mightily during the month of July, batting just .136 with two home runs, seven RBI and three runs scored in 15 games.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Homers in Sunday's win
Freeman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 9-6 win over the Red Sox.
Freeman crushed a first-pitch fastball from Kutter Crawford to right-center field to get the Dodgers on the board in the first inning. He now has three homers in his last six games and is up to 16 for the year. Freeman is one of three hitters in the majors with a strikeout rate below 15.0 percent and an ISO greater than .200. The 34-year-old is slashing .292/.305/.503 with 66 RBI, 61 runs and a 58:66 BB:K in 438 plate appearances this year.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Clubs 14th homer
Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-2 loss to Atlanta.
Goldschmidt entered the contest with no hits in 12 at-bats over the previous three games and was dropped to seventh in the St. Louis batting order, the lowest he's hit in a game since the 2012 season. He broke out of his funk in the second inning, when he clubbed his 14th home run of the season to put the Cardinals on the board. However, the long ball was the only hit of the day for the veteran first baseman, who also struck out twice. Goldschmidt is currently on pace to finish with career-low marks in average (.225), on-base percentage (.287) and slugging percentage (.372), and he's also maintaining his highest strikeout rate (28.9 percent) since his rookie season.
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Kris Bryant RF | COL
Rockies' Kris Bryant: Rehab stint going well
Bryant (oblique) has gone 6-for-11 with two home runs across three games with Triple-A Albuquerque.
Bryant has had another frustrating season dominated by injuries, as he's hit just .186 with a .586 OPS in 101 plate appearances. His current form suggests he should be nearing a return from the injured list, most likely at some point during the Rockies' upcoming weekend series in San Francisco.
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Luis Arraez 2B | SF
Padres' Luis Arraez: Nabs steal in win
Arraez went 1-for-3 with two walks, one RBI and one stolen base in Saturday's 7-0 win over the Guardians.
While Arraez has no trouble getting on base, he typically doesn't run much. His steal Saturday was his fourth of the year, matching his career high from 2022. The infielder is batting .292 (14-for-48) over 12 contests in July, though that's put him on a slight decline with a .312/.347/.382 slash line through 95 contests between the Padres and Marlins this season. Arraez has battled a thumb injury recently, which caused him to miss the All-Star Game, so it's likely he'll get most of the playing time at designated hitter in the immediate future, though Jake Cronenworth started there Saturday.
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Jake Cronenworth 1B | SD
Padres' Jake Cronenworth: Homers in Saturday's win
Cronenworth went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run, a hit-by-pitch and an additional RBI in Saturday's 7-0 win over the Guardians.
Cronenworth was part of both of the Padres' rallies in the contest. He was plunked with the bases loaded to force in a run in the fourth inning before going deep in the eighth. The infielder is batting .267 (12-for-45) with four extra-base hits and five RBI over 13 games in July. For the year, he's at a .260/.328/.438 slash line, 14 homers, 58 RBI, 50 runs scored, 19 doubles, two triples and two stolen bases through 96 contests. Cronenworth is likely to remain in the lineup regularly, though it's expected he'll move between first base and designated hitter most of the time, sharing those positions with Luis Arraez.
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Juan Yepez 1B | TOR
Nationals' Juan Yepez: Two more hits, first homer
Yepez went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a second run scored in Friday's 8-5 win over Cincinnati.
Yepez took Frankie Montas deep in the third inning, driving a two-strike pitch over the left-field fence to extend Washington's lead to 7-1. It's the first homer of the year for Yepez, though he's swung the bat well since he was called up July 5 -- the outfielder has at least one hit in all 11 games he's appeared in. Overall, Yepez is slashing an eye-popping .390/.468/.610 with six RBI and eight runs scored across 47 plate appearances as he continues to make a case for an everyday role.