MLB Player News
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Spencer Horwitz 1B | PIT
Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Idle against lefty
Horwitz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.
Horwitz will take a seat for the third time in four games while the Pirates go up against another southpaw in Cristopher Sanchez. Jared Triolo will get the nod at first base and should continue to fill the short side of a platoon with Horwitz.
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Luis Arraez 1B | SD
Padres' Luis Arraez: Comes through with clutch hit
Arraez went 1-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's loss to the Brewers.
San Diego trailed by two runs with two outs in the ninth inning before Arraez tied the score with a two-run double. The big hit wasn't quite enough to send San Diego home with a victory, however, as Caleb Durbin swatted a walk-off homer for the Brewers in the bottom of the frame. Arraez has reached base safely in each of his first six games in June, though he's batting just .250 (7-for-28) during that span. Arraez's batting average sits at a fine .281 on the campaign, but that's well below his career mark as his three-year streak of winning a batting title looks to be in peril.
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Michael Busch 3B | CHC
Cubs' Michael Busch: Slugs homer No. 10
Busch went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Tigers.
The first baseman crushed a Keider Montero changeup 414 feet down the right-field line in the fifth inning, the first of three Chicago long balls off the Detroit right-hander and one of five Cubs homers on the day. Busch has gone yard four times in his last five starts while hitting safely in eight straight games, pushing his slash line on the season to .276/.377/.521 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI in 60 contests.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B | CIN
Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Enjoys productive Saturday
Encarnacion-Strand went 5-for-10 with two home runs and five RBI between wins over the Diamondbacks on Friday and Saturday.
Friday's game was suspended due to rain, and when it resumed Saturday, Encarnacion-Strand emerged as the hero after smacking the walk-off RBI double in the 10th. He carried over that momentum into Saturday's scheduled game, putting the Reds on the board in the first inning with a three-run shot to left field. Encarnacion-Strand had produced a .482 OPS across 59 plate appearances prior to suffering a back issue and landing on the injured list April 17, but the extended period on the shelf and subsequent rehab assignment may have helped the 25-year-old infielder figure things out at the plate. Expect the Reds to continue to find ways to keep his bat in the lineup now that he's looking healthy and productive.
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Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Diamondbacks' Josh Naylor: Back in lineup
Naylor (hand/shoulder) is serving as the designated hitter and batting cleanup against the Reds on Saturday.
Naylor was pulled from Thursday's game against Atlanta due to lingering shoulder and hand injuries. He didn't play Friday versus Cincinnati, but he's back in the lineup for Saturday's contest. Naylor is slashing .289/.345/.448 with nine steals, seven home runs and 39 RBI in 255 plate appearances this season.
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Endy Rodriguez C | PIT
Pirates' Endy Rodriguez: Lands on IL
The Pirates placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Saturday.
Rodriguez injured his right elbow throwing a ball to second base while warming up for the second inning of Friday's game against the Phillies. Imaging revealed inflammation in his right elbow, and he will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury and an approximate timeline for his return to the majors, per Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com. With Rodriguez and Joey Bart (concussion) both on the injured list, the Pirates promoted Brett Sullivan from Triple-A Indianapolis to serve as the backup catcher behind Henry Davis.
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Bryce Harper DH | PHI
Phillies' Bryce Harper: Placed on IL due to wrist injury
The Phillies placed Harper on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to right wrist inflammation, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Harper sat out Friday's matchup versus Pittsburgh due to what was deemed soreness in his right wrist, and he's now set for a longer absence with a diagnosis of inflammation. The move is retroactive to June 6, so Harper will be eligible to return for the first contest of a three-game set against Miami on June 16, though it's unclear at this point if he'll be ready to return then. Philadelphia recalled Otto Kemp from Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move Saturday.
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Matt Olson 1B | ATL
Braves' Matt Olson: Homers in extra-inning loss
Olson went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run, two walks and a second run scored in Friday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Giants.
Olson's seventh-inning blast tied the game at 4-4 and ultimately was enough to force an extra frame. The first baseman hadn't gone deep since May 24 after a stretch of five homers in seven games. For the season, Olson is at a .239/.344/.465 slash line with 13 homers, 34 RBI, 37 runs scored and 13 doubles across 62 contests.
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Pete Alonso 1B | BAL
Mets' Pete Alonso: Smacks two-run double
Alonso went 1-for-3 with two walks, one run scored and a two-run double in Friday's 4-2 win over the Rockies.
Alonso put the Mets on the board in the seventh inning with a two-run double to left field and came home to score in the ninth on a Francisco Lindor (toe) double. Alonso has reached base safely in 15 straight games, and over that span he has slashed .310/.388/.690 with nine runs, four doubles, six home runs and 20 RBI across 67 plate appearances.
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Endy Rodriguez C | PIT
Pirates' Endy Rodriguez: Leaves with trainer
Rodriguez was removed from Friday's game against the Phillies due to right elbow discomfort, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Rodriguez seemingly tweaked his elbow after throwing a ball to second base while warming up for the second inning. The severity of his injury remains unknown, but the Pirates will take a look at him and should provide some details in the near future.