MLB Player News
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Asdrubal Cabrera 1B | CIN
Mets' Asdrubal Cabrera: Drives in four, scores twice
Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, four RBI and two runs scored Thursday against the Pirates.
Cabrera played a major role in the Mets' offensive explosion against the Pirates, recording a season-best four RBI performance. That included a two-run home run in the fourth inning off Nick Kingham, his 18th of the season. It's already his fifth home run in July across 67 at-bats, continuing a season-long power surge that has his slugging percentage at a career-best .488 mark.
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Wilmer Flores 1B | SF
Mets' Wilmer Flores: Fills stat sheet
Flores went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored Thursday against the Pirates.
Flores recorded most of his production when he took Nick Kingham deep in the first inning for a two-run home run, his ninth of the season. He has gotten every day playing time at first base due to the injuries suffered by Jay Bruce (hip) and Todd Frazier (ribs) and has taken advantage by homering six times and raising his average from .252 to .268 since June 14. While Flores has been a lefty-killer in the past -- he posted a .620 slugging percentage from 2015 to 2017 against southpaws -- he has been much better against right-handed pitching this season, posting a .493 slugging percentage across 146 at-bats entering Thursday's action.
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Alex Blandino 1B | SF
Reds' Alex Blandino: Moved to 60-day DL
Blandino (knee) was transferred to the 60-day DL on Thursday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
This was strictly a procedural move for the Reds as Blandino recently underwent season-ending surgery to repair his torn ACL. In a corresponding move, Jesse Winker (shoulder) was put on the shelf while Mason Williams had his contract selected from Triple-A Louisville.
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Carlos Santana 1B | ARI
Phillies' Carlos Santana: Drives in three in win over Dodgers
Santana went 2-for-3 with a walk, a triple, a run scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Dodgers.
He's now 7-for-23 (.304) since the All-Star break with a homer and eight RBI in six games. Santana's .215/.355/.407 slash line on the season remains rough, but the veteran continues to hold down a prime spot in the Phillies' order and should remain a strong run producer even if his batting average doesn't turn around.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Pirates' Josh Bell: Finds power stroke Tuesday
Bell went 2-for-4 with a home run against the Indians on Tuesday, his first home run in 85 plate appearances.
Power is the last missing piece of Bell's game, as the first baseman has hit .347/.435/.500 in 118 at-bats since June 10. The homer was just his second since May and sixth on the year. He hit 26 long balls in 2017, so it's reasonable to expect the 25-year-old to pick up the pace before season's end.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt: Connects on 22nd homer
Goldschmidt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run Monday in the Diamondbacks' 7-1 win over the Cubs.
Goldschmidt's second-inning blast ended a stretch of six games without an extra-base hit along with a 1-for-12 drought at the plate to begin the second half. Wrigley Field has long been one of the All-Star first baseman's favorite places to hit, as the two-hit performance boosted his career average to .361 over 138 at-bats at the park. He could make for a worthy building block in DFS lineups while the Diamondbacks remain in Chicago through Thursday.
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Garrett Cooper 1B | ATL
Marlins' Garrett Cooper: May be out until September
Cooper was officially placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday with a right wrist sprain, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports. According to Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald, Cooper said he's dealing with significant inflammation in the wrist and will likely require 2-to-4 weeks of rest before undergoing a follow-up MRI.
Until the inflammation subsides, the Marlins won't be able to determine the severity of Cooper's sprain, so his official recovery timeline remains muddled. Considering that Cooper previously missed three months this season after getting hit by a pitch on the same wrist, it wouldn't be surprising if this setback prevented him from playing again this season. The Marlins called up Magneuris Sierra from Triple-A New Orleans to take Cooper's spot on the active roster.
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Justin Bour 1B | SF
Marlins' Justin Bour: Homers in series opener
Bour went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Monday in the loss to the Braves.
Bour launched his 16th homer of the season in the second inning, but the Marlins would end up getting blown out, 12-1. The 30-year-old first baseman is batting an uninspiring .222 with three homers and nine RBI through 17 games in July.
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Rhys Hoskins 1B | CLE
Phillies' Rhys Hoskins: Homers in third straight matchup
Hoskins went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Monday's 7-6 loss to the Dodgers.
Hoskins tied the game in the fifth inning after launching his 17th home run of the season, although the Phillies would fall in the series opener. He's gone 4-for-16 with three homers and eight RBI in four games following the All-Star break as he attempts to raise his uninspiring .477 slugging percentage (90 games).
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Garrett Cooper 1B | ATL
Marlins' Garrett Cooper: Heads to DL
Cooper (wrist) will be placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday with a right wrist sprain, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.
Cooper has been on the bench for each of Miami's past three games, and after undergoing an MRI he'll require a stint on the disabled list. It's unclear if he'll return after the minimum, though more news on his status should emerge in the near future. Magneuris Sierra will be recalled from Triple-A New Orleans in a corresponding move.