MLB Player News

Freeman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to the Nationals.

The first baseman launched one of four solo homers off Max Scherzer on the afternoon, taking the veteran right-hander deep in the first inning. Freeman's blast was his first hit this season, but there's little reason for concern with a player who hasn't posted an OPS below .893 since 2015.

Gurriel batted second and went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Angels.

Gurriel is one of several Astros off to hot starts, having gone 9-for-18 with six walks over the first five games entering Tuesday's contest. That start got him promoted to second in the batting order, a spot Michael Brantley, who has been out since Sunday with a wrist injury, normally resides in. Brantley is due back for Thursday's home opener following an off-day Wednesday, so Gurriel should drop back to fifth or sixth in the order.

Abreu went 1-for-4 with a grand slam and an additional RBI in Tuesday's 10-4 win over the Mariners.

Abreu had been pretty quiet all night, but he came up big late in the game when he sent a moonshot over the left-field fence for a grand slam to put the game out of reach as the White Sox went up 10-3 in the eighth. It was the 2020 MVP's second grand slam in six games, as eight of his nine RBI this season have come from the long ball. Abreu is still slashing just .208/.310/.458 through 29 plate appearances since he's been relatively quiet outside of his pair of round trippers.

Vaughn went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and a run scored in Tuesday's 10-4 win over the Mariners.

It was a night to remember for Vaughn, as he finally was able to connect on a fastball for a double in the right-centerfield gap for his first career major-league hit. The 22-year-old prospect made hard contact all night and showed discipline at the plate while drawing two walks. He also had a ball clank off his glove that was ruled a double, contributing to a three-run third inning for Seattle. It's possible he takes a seat Wednesday against right-hander Justin Dunn after starting in back-to-back games, but he definitely shook off some jitters after starting the season 0-for-9.

Lowe went 2-for-3 with two home runs, a walk and four RBI in Tuesday's victory over the Blue Jays.

Lowe got Texas on the board with a two-run shot in the first inning and slugged another two-run homer in the third. The 25-year-old has gotten off to a fantastic start to the 2021 season, collecting at least one hit and RBI in each of his five contests thus far. Lowe is slashing .381/.409/.857 and leads all of baseball with 14 RBI.

Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 8-4 win over the Phillies.

He got the Mets on the board by taking Chase Anderson deep in the fourth inning. Smith wasn't in the starting lineup for the team's belated season opener with a lefty on the mound for the Phillies, and if manager Luis Rojas continues to use him in a strict platoon, it will put a ceiling on Smith's fantasy value despite the upside he showed with the .993 OPS he posted in 2020.

Alonso went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 8-4 win over the Phillies.

He took David Hale deep in the ninth inning to give the Mets some extra cushion. It was Alonso's first homer of the year after a 1-for-4 showing in the team's belated season opener, and already the 70th of his career in only 220 games.

Calhoun (knee) will play 3-to-5 innings of full-speed defense Tuesday, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

The 33-year-old continues to ramp up his participation in baseball activities as he works through his recovery from the right knee surgery he underwent in early March. Calhoun could return from the injured list this weekend if he can avoid any setbacks.

Olson has a knee contusion, which is why he is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Dogers, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

He suffered the injury while sliding into the wall chasing a foul ball. An MRI showed no structural damage, so Olson should be considered day-to-day. Tony Kemp is starting at second base, Jed Lowrie is starting at DH and Mitch Moreland is starting at first base with Olson getting the day off.

Olson is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Dodgers, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The left-handed slugger will take a seat with one of the game's top lefty starters (Clayton Kershaw) on the hill for Los Angeles. Olson is 4-for-17 with six strikeouts and three walks through five games. Jed Lowrie moves to designated hitter while Mitch Moreland handles first base.