MLB Player News

Horwitz went 1-for-2 with a single, two walks and a run scored Sunday against the Orioles.

Horwitz started his fourth straight game at first base, and he's reached base in each of those contests. He's been particularly patient, with his two free passes Sunday bringing his walk rate to 14.3 percent. Despite the value he has brought to Pittsburgh's lineup, he has only two runs and two RBI with only a .174 batting average across 28 plate appearances.

Santana (groin) will remain in Arizona and undergo an MRI on Monday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Santana was forced to leave Sunday's extra-inning win over Atlanta in the bottom of second inning after pulling up lame with a right groin injury while legging out a single. The first baseman will now stick around Arizona for an extra day to undergo additional imaging while the rest of the squad travels to New York ahead of the team's three-game set against the Mets beginning Tuesday. Ildemaro Vargas replaced Santana at first base Sunday, and he could be the next man up if Santana is forced to miss any action moving forward.

O'Hearn went 2-for-5 with a double, a two-run home run and four RBI in Sunday's game against the Orioles.

O'Hearn kicked off the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning, his third long ball of the season. He added a two-RBI double one frame later, his third multi-RBI effort of the campaign. O'Hearn has had a strong start to the season by collecting at least one hit in seven of eight games, and he's even started two of three contests against lefties.

Santana left Sunday's game against Atlanta with right groin tightness.

Santana recorded a hit in his lone plate appearance Sunday and is hitting .083 in 26 plate appearances this season. It's unclear how much time Santana will miss with the injury. Ildemaro Vargas replaced Santana at first base.

Santana was removed from Sunday's game against Atlanta due to an apparent injury, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

The veteran first baseman appeared to tweak something during his first plate appearance but remained in the game, only to be replaced by a pinch runner after hitting a single. Santana can be considered day-to-day for now, but his status should be updated in the near future.

Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Smith's three previous absences from the lineup this year came against lefty starters, but he's sitting Sunday despite the fact that right-hander Brandon Pfaadt is pitching for Arizona. Ronald Acuna is resting his legs as the DH, which allows Eli White to pick up a start in right field.

Freeman went 2-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI in Saturday's win over the Nationals.

The All-Star first baseman has now totaled four bases in three straight games to begin April. Freeman has four extra-base hits over that span and has also collected seven RBI. He'd gone a quiet 4-for-20 in March, so Freeman is certainly starting to pick things up this month.

Stewart went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Saturday's 2-0 win over the Rangers.

Cincinnati scored both of its runs in the top of the first inning against Kumar Rocker, as Elly De La Cruz singled home Matt McLain before Stewart singled home De La Cruz. Through eight games, Stewart is locked in as the Reds' everyday first baseman, slashing .407/.529/.741 with three doubles, two home runs, four RBI, five runs scored and a 7:5 BB:K across 34 plate appearances.

Polanco (Achilles) will serve as the designated hitter and bat third against the Giants on Saturday.

Polanco's Achilles tendinitis has limited him to working mostly as a DH to begin the regular season, and manager Carlos Mendoza said that the 32-year-old infielder began experiencing renewed discomfort Thursday. Polanco now appears to be feeling well enough to return to his role as New York's DH, though he may not be ready to start every day quite yet.

The Rockies reinstated Crim (oblique) from the injured list Saturday and optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Crim missed most of the Cactus League schedule due to a strained left oblique. He received the green light to begin playing in rehab games at Albuquerque on March 31, and he'll officially stay put in the minors now that he's been deemed fully healthy.