MLB Player News
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Alec Burleson LF | STL
Cardinals' Alec Burleson: Continues hitting streak
Burleson went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Saturday's victory over the Reds.
Burleson got the Cardinals on the board with a two-run homer in the first inning, then added an RBI single in the eighth. The 26-year-old extended his hitting streak to nine games, during which he's slashed .410/.415/.718 with six extra-base hits and 10 RBI. On the season, he boasts a .314/.352/.473 line with 19 extra-base hits and 30 RBI across 66 games.
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Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe: Goes deep twice in victory
Lowe went 2-for-5 with two solo home runs Saturday in a 7-3 win over the Dodgers.
Lowe homered to left field in the sixth inning and added a second shot to center field in the eighth. This was the first time on the campaign that the first baseman has gone deep multiple times, and Lowe recorded just his second multi-hit effort across his past 12 contests. He's up to 12 home runs and 47 RBI this season, though he's still slashing a modest .227/.295/.395 through 319 plate appearances.
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Bryce Harper DH | PHI
Phillies' Bryce Harper: Advances to soft toss Saturday
Harper (wrist) progressed to throwing soft toss ahead of Saturday's game against the Mets, MLB.com reports.
Harper continues to gradually ramp up his baseball activity amid his recovery from right wrist inflammation, as his absence has now extended beyond two weeks. There remains no clear timetable for his return to the field, and it's unclear if the Phillies will send him on a brief minor-league rehab assignment or simply reinstate him from the injured list once the superstar first baseman is deemed ready for game action. In the meantime, Alec Bohm and Otto Kemp should continue to split the reps at the cold corner.
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Alec Burleson LF | STL
Cardinals' Alec Burleson: Settling into everyday role
Burleson has made 13 straight starts for the Cardinals, including three straight against left-handed pitching.
The left-handed-hitting Burleson's first start this season against a traditional left-handed starter didn't come until May 31. However, he has started five of seven games versus lefties since that date and is slashing .381/.409/.571 against southpaws during that stretch. Burleson is batting .346/.379/.569 overall with seven homers since May 1, and he has hit third in five of the Cardinals' last six contests. A career .572 OPS against lefties suggests Burleson could be due for some regression in that area, but he should continue to play every day for the time being, especially while Ivan Herrera (hamstring) is shelved.
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Dominic Smith 1B | SF
Giants' Dominic Smith: Not in Friday's lineup
Smith is not in San Francisco's starting lineup against Boston on Friday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Smith will take a seat after going 1-for-10 with one RBI and four strikeouts during the Giants' three-game home series against the Guardians earlier this week. Wilmer Flores will start at first base and bat in the cleanup spot.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Not starting Friday
Freeman isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Nationals, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
An 0-for-3 performance Thursday broke up Freeman's modest four-game hitting streak, and he'll now grab a seat on the bench while Enrique Hernandez starts at first base during Friday's series opener.
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Willson Contreras C | BOS
Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Idle Friday
Contreras isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Reds, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Contreras will get a chance to rest Friday after going 2-for-10 with three walks, five RBI and three runs scored in St. Louis' last series against the White Sox. Alec Burleson will fill the void at first base, opening up right field for Jordan Walker.
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Bryce Harper DH | PHI
Phillies' Bryce Harper: Hits off tee
Harper (wrist) took 20 swings off a tee Friday, but he remains without a timetable for return, Paul Casella of MLB.com reports.
Harper took dry swings Thursday and has progressed to hitting off a tee. While it's unclear how close he is to returning, it's another encouraging step in his recovery from right wrist inflammation.
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Matt Olson 1B | ATL
Braves' Matt Olson: Three more RBI in Thursday's win
Olson went 2-for-3 with two walks, two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI in Thursday's win over the Mets.
The first baseman continues to swing a hot bat in June. Olson has hit safely in 10 straight games, slashing .378/.467/.676 over that stretch with five doubles, two homers, seven runs and 14 RBI to go along with a rock-solid 7:7 BB:K.
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Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Diamondbacks' Josh Naylor: Matches career steals mark
Naylor went 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored in Thursday's 9-5 win over Toronto.
Naylor singled in the second inning and scored Arizona's first run when Eugenio Suarez homered one batter later. The single extended Naylor' hit streak to nine games, a stretch in which he's gone 16-for-36 (.444) with five extra-base hits, 10 RBI and nine runs scored. He later walked in the sixth, stole a base and scored on a sacrifice fly. The steal was his 10th in 72 contests, matching the career high he established in 2023 across 121 games while a member of the Guardians.