MLB Player News

Calhoun is starting in right field and hitting sixth Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

Calhoun is hitting just .194 through 28 games this season, prompting the Angels to drop him to sixth in the order against right-hander Marcus Stroman. This marks the first time all season the veteran outfielder is hitting anywhere but leadoff against a right-handed starter, a trend that could continue if he doesn't turn things around at the plate.

Cooper won't play Wednesday after getting hit in the left hand by a pitch on Tuesday, but he could be back in action for the weekend series against the Braves, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

Cooper suffered the injury on his first day back from a month-long absence due to a calf strain. X-rays came back negative, but he'll sit for at least one day with a bruise.

Flores is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Yankees.

Flores will retreat to the bench for Wednesday's series finale despite going 2-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer in Tuesday's 3-1 win. Ketel Marte is starting at the keystone in his place, with Jarrod Dyson getting the start in center field.

O'Hearn is out of the lineup for the first game of the Royals' doubleheader Wednesday with the Rays.

The Rays will open the first game with a right-handed pitcher (Ryne Stanek), but he'll only pitch an inning or two before likely giving way to lefty Jalen Beeks, who is expected to serve as the team's bulk reliever. With that in mind, the lefty-hitting O'Hearn will sit as the Royals look to counter with more right-handed options. Tampa Bay will bring another southpaw in Blake Snell to the hill for the second game, so it's possible that O'Hearn will find himself on the bench again for that contest as well.

Bell went 2-for-5 with a walk and a two-run double against the Rangers on Tuesday.

He ranks 10th in the major leagues with an average exit velocity of 94.2 mph -- he finished 97th with an average exit velocity of 90 mph in 2018. Bell leads Pittsburgh in runs (16), doubles (eight), homers (six) and RBI (21). The switch hitter's hitting both left-handed pitching (.870 OPS) and righties (.990 OPS) and is on track to help make fantasy owners forget about his disappointing 2018 campaign.

Kirilloff (wrist) could report to Double-A Pensacola later this week, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

He sustained the injury late in spring training, and originally was expected to return to the field sometime in April. He'll move to first base after playing the outfield last season.

Flores went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Yankees.

His second-inning solo shot off CC Sabathia was Flores' first homer as a Diamondback. His .241/.299/.329 slash line through 26 games is nothing special, but Flores should remain in the lineup on a regular basis, and Tuesday's long ball might have been what he needed to get going at the plate.

Olson (hand) flew to Reno, Nevada on Tuesday to join Triple-A Las Vegas and will be in the starting lineup at first base for the Aviators on Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Olson's minor-league stint is expected to last at least 4-5 games before the Athletics consider activating him. The slugging infielder has been sidelined since leaving a March 21 game against the Mariners with hand pain, so his timing at the plate certainly needs some work. "I just want him to feel comfortable and see the ball well," manager Bob Melvin said. "We have to resist the urge of trying to get him back here as quickly as we can, because he's been out for a while. With hamate injuries, sometimes it takes a little while for the strength to come back. We'll see where we're at at the end of this road trip."

Santana went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, two RBI and two runs scored Tuesday against the Marlins.

Santana took Sandy Alcantara deep in the second inning for his third home run of the season. It was his second homer in as many games, which broke him out of a previous slump at the dish during which he went 1-for-23. Regardless of the level of power Santana is able to provide this season, he remains consistent in his ability to get on base as he now has a .430 on-base percentage through 114 plate appearances.

Cooper was diagnosed with a left hand bruise as X-rays came back negative after he was hit by a pitch Tuesday, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

Cooper just spent a month on the injured list with a calf strain and it appeared as though a quick return to the IL could be in store after he was plunked during his second plate appearance. Thankfully the 28-year-old only suffered the bruise and is considered day-to-day.