MLB Player News

Diaz went 3-for-5 with an RBI single, a walk and three runs in a win over the Red Sox on Thursday.

Diaz's run-scoring single in the first inning opened the scoring on what would be a momentous 17-run barrage for the Rays. The Cuban infielder has been highly productive at the plate during August after a slow start to the season, but curiously, the big hits continue to avoid him. Of Diaz's 19 hits on the season, only two -- a pair of doubles -- have gone for extra bases, this after he laced a career-high 35 XBH (20 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs) in 2019. Part of the explanation seems to lie in Diaz's batted-ball metrics -- he's seen drops in exit velocity (91.6 mph to 83.0 mph), hard-contact rate (42.4 percent to 33.9 percent) and flyball rate (32.0 percent to 10.7 percent) compared to last season. On the bright side for his fantasy managers, the 29-year-old's line-drive rate is up from 17.2 to 21.4 percent, which typically leads to more batted balls falling in for hits.

Bohm went 1-for-4 with a double during Thursday's 11-4 loss to the Orioles.

Making his MLB debut after being called up from the Phillies' alternate training site earlier in the day, Bohm started at third base and batted sixth while Jean Segura shifted over to the keystone. The 24-year-old didn't take long to make an impact, sending a liner down the left-field line on the fourth pitch he saw in his first at-bat. So long as he stays healthy and avoids an extended slump, the Phillies' top position prospect is expected to remain a regular at the hot corner for the rest of the season, resulting in Scott Kingery moving into more of a utility role.

Smith went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, double and two runs scored in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Nationals.

It marked the second day in a row in which Smith belted a double and a homer. Smith has been seeing consistent playing time with Yoenis Cespedes opting out of the season, and the lefty swinger now has his OPS up to a stellar 1.020 following Thursday's win. Look for Smith to continue to get consistent at-bats against right-handed pitching.

Cronenworth isn't starting Thursday against the Dodgers.

With Eric Hosmer available for the Padres once again, Cronenworth should see a slight downturn in playing time, but he's played well enough to maintain a fairly regular role in the lineup. Jurickson Profar will start at second base in Cronenworth's absence Thursday.

France was optioned to the Padres' alternate training site Thursday.

France saw inconsistent playing time to begin the season as part of the active roster as he slashed .250/.308/.417 with two extra-base hits and three RBI over 24 at-bats. However, he could be one of the team's top options to fill in if injuries occur. Jorge Mateo was activated from the injured list in a corresponding move.

Hoskins is not starting Thursday against the Orioles, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hoskins will head to the bench for what appears to be a routine breather following a string of 13 consecutive starts to begin the season. Neil Walker is starting at first base in place of Hoskins, who is slashing .190/.404/.238 with zero home runs, one RBI, nine runs scored and a 14:10 BB:K so far this season.

Bohm is starting at third base and hitting sixth Thursday against the Orioles, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

As expected, Bohm is set to make his big-league debut against right-hander Tom Eshelman after having his contract purchased prior to Thursday's series finale. The top prospect figures to see plenty of at-bats during his time with the big club, which could push Jean Segura to second base and Scott Kingery to the bench more often moving forward. Across 63 games with Double-A Reading in 2019, Bohm slashed .269/.344/.500 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI.

Olson went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a win over the Angels on Wednesday.

Olson opened the scoring on the afternoon for either club with one of his mammoth trademark homers, blasting a 454-foot shot to right in the first inning. The 26-year-old has had an interesting statistical month thus far, as five of his six hits in August have left the yard and he's also drawn 10 walks. However, Olson has also struck out on 12 occasions and is hitting just .136 (6-for-44) during that span, leaving him with an unorthodox .149/.313/.418 slash over his first 83 plate appearances of 2020.

Diaz went 3-for-5 with an RBI single in a win over the Red Sox on Wednesday.

Diaz continues to see the ball drop in after experiencing some tough luck in that regard earlier this season. Factoring in Wednesday's production, the 29-year-old is hitting .341 across 11 August games, raising his season average 163 points to .258.

Tellez went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Wednesday's extra-inning loss to the Marlins.

The homer was his second of the season, and first since July 27. Tellez has had trouble getting going so far, slashing .200/.283/.425 through 11 games, but his power potential should keep him in the lineup most nights.