MLB Player News
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Matt Olson 1B | ATL
Braves' Matt Olson: Homers Sunday
Olson went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Sunday's 3-2 win over Baltimore.
Olson's first-inning homer was Atlanta's lone run until Sam Hilliard scored on a wild pitch in the 10th inning. The long ball was Olson's 10th of the year and his fourth in 11 games. The 29-year-old first baseman is slashing .246/.369/.530 with 30 runs scored and 27 RBI through his first 160 plate appearances this season.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Paces Cards with three-homer day
Goldschmidt went 4-for-5 with three homers, four RBI, four runs scored and a steal in Sunday's 12-6 win over the Tigers.
Goldschmidt homered in the first, third and eighth frames, with all three traveling over 400 feet. It was the third three-homer game of his career and his third multi-hit effort over his last four games, as he helped the Cardinals finally end their eight-game losing streak. While the team is struggling as a whole, Goldschmidt is putting up near-identical numbers to his MVP campaign a season ago. The 35-year-old is slashing .321/.409/.582 with seven homers, 20 RBI, 22 runs, four steals and an 18:26 BB:K over 154 plate appearances.
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Yuli Gurriel DH | SD
Marlins' Yuli Gurriel: Goes yard in win
Gurriel went 1-for-6 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Cubs.
Gurriel took Hayden Wesneski deep to left to open up the scoring in the fifth inning. It was just his third home run of the year but his second RBI over his last three games. The 38-year-old has been a mainstay in the lineup since Garrett Cooper (ear) was put on the IL but hasn't put together a whole lot of run production. For the season, he slashing .270/.313/.432 with six extra base hits, seven RBI, eight runs and a 4:8 BB:K over 80 plate appearances.
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Christian Walker 1B | HOU
Diamondbacks' Christian Walker: Extends hitting streak with homer
Walker went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 9-8 loss to the Nationals.
Walker put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-1 with his fourth-inning solo shot. He's hit safely in five straight games, going 10-for-23 (.435) in that span. The first baseman is up to eight homers, 26 RBI, 19 runs scored, one stolen base and seven doubles while slashing .282/.319/.532 through 32 contests. He's never hit better than .271 in a season, but there's no denying he's hot right now.
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Wilmer Flores 1B | SF
Giants' Wilmer Flores: Subs in for pinch-hit homer
Flores went 1-for-1 with a solo home run in Friday's win over the Brewers.
Flores pinch hit for designated hitter Joc Pederson in the eighth, promptly smacking a 397-foot shot to left center. This was his sixth homer of the year, so he's well on pace to pass his total from last season (19). The 31-year-old is now slashing .262/.311/.512 on the year.
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Matt Mervis 1B | WAS
Cubs' Matt Mervis: Drives in run in debut
Mervis went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 4-1 win over the Marlins.
Getting the start at first base and batting seventh, Mervis didn't have an eye-popping big-league debut but did bring home Cody Bellinger with a single in the eighth inning for the game's final run. Mervis figures to hold down a regular spot in the lineup as the Cubs see what their top hitting prospect can do, but if the 25-year-old does stumble out of the game, Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer remain available to cut into his workload -- at least for the moment.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Two doubles in three-hit effort
Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Tigers.
Goldschmidt has opened May by going 6-for-17 (.353) with four doubles over four contests. The first baseman is now slashing .312/.403/.520 with four home runs, 16 RBI, 18 runs scored, 14 doubles and three stolen bases through 32 games on the season. He's still one of the best hitters in the majors at age 35, though his power has yet to show up in full force so far.
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Brewers' Rowdy Tellez: Gets Friday off
Tellez is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against San Francisco.
Tellez will take a seat against southpaw Sean Manaea and the Giants for the series opener. Luke Voit will handle first base duties against Manaea and hit sixth.
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Garrett Cooper 1B | ATL
Marlins' Garrett Cooper: Feeling better but shut down
Cooper (ear) is feeling better but remains shut down from baseball activities, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
Cooper landed on the injured list Wednesday with an inner ear infection, an issue which had been bothering him for a few days. He should be able to make a quick return once he's totally symptom-free.
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Matt Mervis 1B | WAS
Cubs' Matt Mervis: Promotion made official
The Cubs selected Mervis' contract from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
News broke Thursday of Mervis' impending promotion and the move is now official. The Cubs have received very little production from Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini in the first base/designated hitter spots, so they've now turned to their top prospect in hopes that he can provide a boost. Mervis sports a .286/.402/.560 slash line with six home runs and a 19:18 K:BB over 24 games with Iowa this season. It'll be the 25-year-old's first stint in the big leagues. Mervis is starting at first base and batting seventh in his debut Friday versus the Marlins and manager David Ross confirmed that the rookie would be in the lineup regularly, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.