MLB Player News

Dixon allowed 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Rangers.

Dixon accounted for the Tigers' only offense on the evening, taking Mike Minor deep in the fourth inning. It was his 10th homer of the season, and third in his past 10 games. Though he's striking out at a 31 percent clip, Dixon has managed a solid .488 slugging percentage and .231 ISO through 167 plate appearances.

Manager Kevin Cash said there is a "very good chance" Diaz (hamstring) returns from the injured list Thursday, Josh Tolentino of The Athletic reports.

Diaz has been sidelined since June 16 with a hamstring injury, but it sounds like he's on track to return from the injured list when first eligible Thursday. Prior to landing on the shelf, the third baseman slashed .286/.363/.502 with 11 home runs and a stolen base in 56 games.

Calhoun is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Reds.

Calhoun will retreat to the bench for Wednesday's series finale after starting the past eight games and going 7-for-32 (.219) with a pair of home runs and a 27.8 percent strikeout rate during that stretch. Brian Goodwin is starting in right field Wednesday.

Solano went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run Tuesday in the Giants' 4-2 win over the Rockies.

Solano drew a second consecutive start in the middle infield, spelling a slumping Joe Panik at the keystone. Though he was able to extend his hitting streak to five games, Solano's dearth of power and speed, poor team context and lack of steady at-bats are all reasons that make it difficult to get excited about him for fantasy purposes. With Panik and everyday shortstop Brandon Crawford both in the lineup for Wednesday's series finale, Solano will resume his usual bench role.

Walker is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Walker will retreat to the bench for Wednesday's series finale, while Jake Lamb, who is back from a quadriceps injury, will start in his place. It remains to be seen how playing time will shake out with Lamb healthy, but Walker's .833 OPS should still help afford him plenty of opportunities.

Smith went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to the Phillies.

After going 15 games without a homer, Smith has now gone deep in back-to-back starts. The 24-year-old is slashing .321/.419/.566 on the year with six home runs and 12 RBI in 124 plate appearances, numbers which should encourage manager Mickey Callaway to continue trying to find ways to get him into the lineup more frequently.

Gurriel went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Pirates.

Gurriel's fourth-inning homer was all the Astros needed. It was the second straight game with a home run for Gurriel, who has seven for the season and is slugging .414, 24th among 26 first basemen with at least 250 plate appearances.

Votto went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a loss to the Angels on Tuesday.

Votto plated the first and only run of the game for the Reds in the first inning, drilling a 410-foot home run to center field. It was his second homer in as many games and fourth overall in June, matching his total in April and May combined. The 2010 NL MVP is having a down year by his standards as his slash line now sits at .261/.358/.418 in 261 at-bats.

Olson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs in a 7-3 victory against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old began the scoring with his solo shot in the second. That gives him six homers this month and 13 on the year. That's not a bad number considering Olson missed all of April. He is batting .244 with a .536 slugging percentage, 23 extra-base hits, 26 RBI and 25 runs in 168 at-bats this season.

Mountcastle will make his professional debut in the outfield Tuesday for Triple-A Norfolk, starting in left field and hitting cleanup.

It has been clear for a couple years now that Mountcastle doesn't profile anywhere on the left side of the infield, but he had been limited mostly to first base work this year, while getting practice reps in the outfield. Mountcastle may be the rare hitting prospect who breaks in as a designated hitter, but he could also retain eligibility at outfield or first base. He could make his big-league debut this summer.