MLB Player News

Gurriel is out of Wednesday's lineup against the Rangers.

After really heating up in the second half of April, Gurriel is in the midst of a 2-for-14 stretch over his last four games. Marwin Gonzalez will get the start at first base and hit seventh against righty Nick Martinez.

Flores (knee) will join the Mets in Atlanta for Wednesday's game against the Braves, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

The report doesn't specify whether Flores will be activated from the 10-day disabled list ahead of Wednesday's game, but that sounds like a good bet after the infielder recently wrapped up a successful three-game rehab stint with High-A St. Lucie and Triple-A Las Vegas, batting 5-for-12 with a homer, three RBI and five runs. The Mets have a void at first base with Lucas Duda (elbow) still on the DL, so Flores could push T.J. Rivera for at-bats at the position once he's formally activated.

Calhoun went 1-for-6 with a two-run home run -- his second in as many days -- in an extra-inning win over the Mariners on Tuesday.

The veteran outfielder was ice cold to start the season, but he has been heating up over the past week, batting .345 (10-for-29) with two homers and four RBI in his last six contests. Calhoun's batting average (.250) and on-base percentage (.325) have returned to normal levels, but his .361 slugging percentage is well below his career average. His current power surge proves that the 29-year-old can still hit the ball with authority, so better days are ahead.

Freeman went 1-for-3 with two walks and a two-run home run in Tuesday's win over the Mets.

The homer was his 10th of the season, and Freeman shows no signs of slowing down after his epic April. The first baseman now has a magnificent .378/.491/.811 slash line on the year and has scored 25 runs in 25 games to go along with his 16 RBI.

Carter is in the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays, playing first base and batting eighth, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

The defending National League home run king seems to be in line for regular starts now that Greg Bird (ankle) is on the disabled list, and Tuesday's lineup is consistent with that notion. Carter's spot in the order is less than ideal, however, so expectations should be tempered until he proves he can put up solid numbers from such a disadvantageous spot in the lineup.

Flores (knee) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

It seems as if the infection in Flores' knee has subsided for the most part, although Tuesday's game action should give a better indication of how healthy he really is. If all goes well in Las Vegas, the utility man could return to big-league action sometime in the next week.

Diaz enjoyed a career night at the plate with five RBI for Triple-A Columbus in Monday's 6-1 victory over Louisville.

Last year, Diaz hit .318/.408/.446 with 35 extra-base hits and 58 RBI in 121 games with Double-A Akron and Columbus en route to being named an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star. The 25-year-old made his major-league debut for the Tribe in April, managing a .236/.295/.255 line over 15 games. Since returning to Columbus, the organization's No. 8 prospect is hitting .382 through nine contests.

Joseph went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer and two runs scored in Monday's 10-2 drubbing of the Cubs.

It was a good time for Joseph's second home run of the season, as he'd been losing valuable playing time at first base to Brock Stassi because of his early-season slump. Joseph raised his average to .183 on Monday, but he has 22 strikeouts and just five walks in 77 plate appearances. While there's no denying the 25-year-old has thump in his bat, the Phillies' platoon at first makes him attractive only in deep mixed and NL-only leagues.

Cron (foot) was diagnosed with just a foot contusion after examinations found no further damage, the Orange County Register reports.

The Angels are expecting a swift return from the disabled list as a result. Cron is eligible to return May 9 against the Athletics, but the question is who will get the playing time at first base following the return of the also-injured Luis Valbuena.

Bour went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and six RBI in Sunday's win over the Pirates.

The homer was his fourth of the season, while the career-high six RBI give him 15 through 23 games. Bour's .222/.297/.407 is less than impressive, however, and while his .250 BABIP suggests he's been a little unlucky to begin the year, don't expect a big increase in his slash line, given his 23.1 percent strikeout rate and relatively low 74 percent contact rate.