MLB Player News

Cron (head) is batting sixth and playing first base Friday against the Padres.

The first baseman cleared the concussion protocol Thursday after taking a pitch to the head, and is back in action to open the series in San Diego. Cron has hit just .221 off right-handed pitching this season, but Friday's opponent Reiss Knehr will be making his MLB debut.

Voit is not starting Friday's series opener against the Astros.

The first baseman took a pitch to the hand Thursday afternoon, but it's unclear whether that is the reason for his absence from Friday's lineup. Voit is hitting .333 in his last eight games, largely due to a five-hit showing Tuesday in Seattle. DJ LeMahieu is shifting to first base Friday, with Rougned Odor getting a start at second base.

Lowe is not starting Friday against Oakland and lefty Cole Irvin.

Lowe enters Friday on a four-game hitting streak, but he'll retreat to the bench with a southpaw on the mound for the Athletics. Andy Ibanez will man first base and bat second.

Diaz is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Blue Jays, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Diaz will sit for the second time in three games despite currently riding a 5-for-11 stretch at the plate. Ji-Man Choi and Wander Franco will start at first and third base, respectively.

Santana went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk Thursday against Cleveland.

Santana went yard off starter Zach Plesac in the fourth inning, then he took Cleveland closer James Karinchak deep in the ninth to tie the game at 4-4. The homers were the 15th and 16th of the season for the veteran first baseman, owns an .893 OPS over his last 15 games. Santana has been a productive free-agent addition for the Royals, slashing .252/.373/.430 with 50 RBI and a team-leading 58 walks over 367 plate appearances.

Beaty went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base Thursday against the Marlins.

Beaty had a busy day at the plate and delivered his first multi-hit effort since May 28. The highlight of his performance came in the fifth inning, when he delivered an RBI single that put the Dodgers up for good. One frame earlier, he also recorded his first stolen base of the campaign. Beaty is now hitting .255/.346/.380 across 156 plate appearances on the season.

Bell was doing work in the outfield prior to Thursday's game against the Padres, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Bell was tracking flyballs and moved minimally from side-to-side before making routine catches. Though he hasn't appeared in the outfield since 2016 as a member of the Pirates, Bell came through the team's minor-league system as a right fielder. It's unclear if he'll appear there in game action, though the Nationals have gotten thin on the depth chart with both Kyle Schwarber (hamstring) and Andrew Stevenson (oblique) currently sidelined.

Cron is doing okay after being hit in the head by a pitch Thursday, and he cleared the concussion protocol, Danielle Allentuck of The Denver Gazette reports.

Cron exited the game in the seventh inning, though manager Bud Black stated it was as a precaution. It appears he could be able to return to the lineup Friday against San Diego as a result. If not, Joshua Fuentes figures to see an uptick in playing time.

Cron was removed from Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks in the top of the seventh inning with an apparent head injury, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

Cron was hit in the head by a pitch in the top of the seventh inning, but the ball appeared to hit his helmet. The 31-year-old was able to walk to first base, but the Rockies chose to remove him from the game following the incident. Prior to his departure, he went 0-for-2 with a run and a strikeout. It's not yet clear whether the injury will limit his availability going forward.

Kirilloff is out of the lineup Thursday against the Tigers.

Kirillof started the past nine games and will head to the bench Thursday with lefty Tarik Skubal starting for Detroit. Miguel Sano will start at first base while Trevor Larnach, Gilberto Celestino and Max Kepler start from left to right in the outfield.