MLB Player News
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Pete Alonso 1B | BAL
Mets' Pete Alonso: On base four times in rout
Alonso went 3-for-5 with a walk, a run scored and two RBI in Monday's win over the Rangers.
The first baseman kept the line moving for the Mets in a 14-2 rout. Alonso still isn't supplying his usual power, but he's picked up the pace a bit in June, slashing .259/.348/.483 through 14 games with four doubles, three homers, nine runs and 12 RBI.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Draws five walks Monday
Freeman went 1-for-1 with two runs and five walks in a 9-5 win against Colorado on Monday.
Freeman's patience was on display in the victory, as he tied a Dodgers franchise record by drawing five free passes. The veteran isn't shy about taking walks -- his 14.6 percent walk rate on the campaign ranks eighth among qualified MLB hitters and is on pace for the highest mark of his career. Of course, Freeman is plenty capable when swinging the bat as well, as he's currently batting .302, putting him on pace for his fifth straight season hitting at least .300.
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Trenton Brooks DH | SD
Giants' Trenton Brooks: Records first steal
Brooks went 0-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in Monday's 7-6 win over the Cubs.
The steal was Brooks' first at the major-league level. The 28-year-old has seen most of his playing time at first base, but he's hitting just .143 over his first nine contests, which hasn't been good enough to keep Wilmer Flores on the bench. Brooks has added a meager .393 OPS, one RBI, three runs scored and a 3:6 BB:K through 24 plate appearances. Brooks' time on the major-league roster may come to a close when LaMonte Wade (hamstring) is able to return from the injured list.
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Michael Busch 3B | CHC
Cubs' Michael Busch: Belts homer in loss
Busch went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk against the Giants in Monday's loss.
Busch gave Chicago its first lead with a two-run blast to center field in the sixth inning. It was his first long ball over his past 17 contests and just his second across his past 32 games. Busch began the campaign with six homers through 16 contests, so the fact that he's still yet to reach double digits in that category emphasizes the extent to which he's slowed down. Still, the first baseman has been hitting well lately, batting .370 over his past 27 at-bats.
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Anthony Rizzo 1B | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Dealing with arm fracture
Rizzo (arm) suffered a fracture to the radial neck of his right arm in Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Red Sox and could miss 4-to-6 weeks, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Rizzo suffered the injury in the seventh inning, when he collided with Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino while running to first base. With the Yankees off Monday, Rizzo appears likely to be placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday. In Rizzo's absence -- which could extend until after the All-Star break -- DJ LeMahieu could serve as the primary replacement at first base, while Oswaldo Cabrera picks up some extra starts at the hot corner.
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Wilmer Flores 1B | SF
Giants' Wilmer Flores: Taking seat Monday
Flores is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.
Flores had started at first base in each of the Giants' last five games, with three starts coming versus lefties and two coming versus right-handers. Though the Giants seem content to deploy Flores as their primary first baseman rather than a platoon bat while LaMonte Wade (hamstring) is on the injured list, Flores will nonetheless give way to rookie Trenton Brooks on Monday.
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Dominic Smith 1B | SF
Red Sox's Dominic Smith: Getting rest against lefty
Smith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.
With southpaw Yusei Kikuchi taking the hill for Toronto, the lefty-hitting Smith will give way to Bobby Dalbec at first base. Expect the two to form a platoon at the position until Triston Casas (ribs) returns from the 10-day injured list, perhaps shortly before the All-Star break.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B | CIN
Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Shifts to 60-day IL
The Reds transferred Encarnacion-Strand (wrist) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
Encarnacion-Strand had been on the IL since May 8 with a right ulnar styloid fracture and wasn't expected to begin a rehab assignment anytime soon, so the move to the 60-day IL won't affect his eventual timeline for a return. According to Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer, manager David Bell reiterated Monday that Encarnacion-Strand remains in a bit of a holding pattern in his recovery from the injury. After he had been expected to increase his activity earlier this month, Encarnacion-Strand's rehab progression was put on pause when he sought a second opinion on his wrist from a specialist, who determined that the 24-year-old was dealing with ligament damage. Bell said that the Reds will wait a few more days to see how Encarnacion-Strand's wrist responds to rest before a determination is made on his next step, which could include anything from resuming baseball activities to going under the knife for season-ending surgery.
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Spencer Horwitz 1B | PIT
Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz: Exiting lineup Monday
Horwitz is out of the lineup for Monday's game versus the Red Sox.
Horwitz had started each of the last seven games versus right-handers upon his promotion from Triple-A Buffalo on June 7 and batted either first or second in all of those contests, but he will begin Monday's series opener on the bench. Davis Schneider gets the call at second base and will serve as the Blue Jays' leadoff batter against Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Clubs 10th homer
Freeman went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 3-0 victory versus the Royals.
Freeman reached double-digit homers on the campaign with his sixth-inning solo blast. The veteran first baseman has begun to pick up the pace in terms of power, going deep four times in 14 contests in June after coming into the month with just six long balls across 59 games. Freeman's pair of hits Sunday also lifted his average back up to .300 -- he's slashing .300/.401/.502 in 319 plate appearances on the season.