MLB Player News
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Nolan Schanuel 1B | LAA
Angels' Nolan Schanuel: Homers in win
Schanuel went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored during Friday's 6-0 win over Cleveland.
Schanuel's third-inning shot off Tanner Bibee put the Angels up 1-0, and singles in the fifth and eighth innings would help the 22-year-old secure his third multi-hit game in his last four contests. He has now hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games while slashing .388/.423/.531 with two homers and six RBI in that stretch.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B | CIN
Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Returns to action
Encarnacion-Strand went 0-for-3 in Friday's 3-0 loss to Baltimore.
Encarnacion-Strand missed the last four games with a hand injury. His first full season in the majors has gotten off to a rocky start, as the first baseman is slashing .190/.216/.305 over 111 plate appearances. His strikeout rate is nearly identical to what it was in 2023, but the walk rate is about half of what it was last year and Encarnacion-Strand is in the fifth percentile in chase percentage.
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Jake Cronenworth 1B | SD
Padres' Jake Cronenworth: Goes yard again
Cronenworth went 3-for-5 with a solo homer in Friday's win over Arizona.
Cronenworth smacked a 398-foot home run off Slade Cecconi in the fourth inning to give him his third homer in five games. The Padres first baseman also extended his hit streak to seven games, batting .370 (10-for-27) during that time. Cronenworth has started the season on a tear, slashing .279/.353/.516 with six home runs, 25 RBI and 18 runs scored over 142 plate appearances.
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Joey Gallo LF | CHW
Nationals' Joey Gallo: Cleared for rehab assignment
Gallo (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Fredericksburg on Saturday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
It's a relatively quick turnaround for Gallo, who went on the injured list less than a week ago with a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. Because he's missed so little time, Gallo shouldn't need too many rehab games before being activated.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B | CIN
Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Back in action Friday
Encarnacion-Strand (hand) will start at first base and bat fifth in Friday's game versus the Orioles.
Encarnacion-Strand missed four starts due to lingering left hand soreness following a hit-by-pitch over the weekend, but he's ready to go now. The 24-year-old has slashed a disappointing .196/.222/.314 with a 28.7 percent strikeout rate in 25 contests with the Reds this season.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Marlins' Josh Bell: Clubs fourth homer
Bell went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's extra-inning win over the Rockies.
The first baseman lofted a Peter Lambert curveball over the right-field fence in the third inning, tying the game at 3-3. Bell has struggled out of the gate this season, slashing .185/.273/.306 through 33 contests with four homers, 11 RBI and 16 runs, but the streaky slugger may be heating up -- he went 4-for-12 in the three-game sweep of Colorado.
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Garrett Cooper 1B | ATL
Red Sox's Garrett Cooper: Returns to action
Cooper started at designated hitter and went 1-for-4 in Thursday's 3-1 loss to San Francisco.
Cooper was back in action after missing one game due to a right wrist injury. He was plunked by a pitch during Tuesday's game -- his Red Sox debut -- and sat out Wednesday. Bobby Dalbec started at first base Thursday, but he's expected to be optioned to Triple-A Worcester on Friday, which will leave Cooper as the top option at first base. The lefty-hitting Dominic Smith is around to back up Cooper.
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Jonathan Singleton DH | HOU
Astros' Jon Singleton: Knocks in three runs Thursday
Singleton went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, an additional run and an additional RBI in Thursday's 8-2 win against the Guardians.
Singleton gave Houston its first lead with a two-run blast in the sixth inning and plated the team's final run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The first baseman has gone deep in two of his past three games, driving in six runs over that span. Though Joey Loperfido was called up Tuesday in correspondence with Jose Abreu being demoted to the minors Wednesday, the rookie has made both of his starts thus far in left field. As such, Singleton could have a path to near-everyday playing time at first base moving forward.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B | CIN
Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Likely to return Friday
Encarnacion-Strand (hand) and teammate Tyler Stephenson are expected to return Friday when the Reds host the Orioles, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The Reds' bats went quiet on their 2-4 road trip against the Rangers and Padres, hitting .201 as a team while averaging 10 strikeouts per game on the trip. Of course, Encarnacion-Strand has been struggling this year in both aspects, hitting .196 with a troubling 3:31 BB:K ratio in 108 plate appearances. Perhaps with better health and better weather he will come close to displaying the form he showed in 2023, when he hit .270/.328/.477 in 241 plate appearances at the big-league level.
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Ryan Mountcastle 1B | BAL
Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle: Homers vs. Yankees
Mountcastle went 2-for-4 with a home run, two total RBI and an additional run scored in Thursday's 7-2 win over the Yankees.
Mountcastle got the Orioles on the board in the third inning with a solo shot off Carlos Rodon, tying the game 1-1. He'd add a second RBI with a base hit in the fifth, extending the lead to 4-1, before scoring on a Jordan Westburg triple. It was a nice finish to the series for the 27-year-old Mountcastle, who'd gone 0-for-12 in the first three games against New York. The first baseman boosted his slash line to .290/.345/.495 with five homers, 16 RBI and 18 runs scored through 28 games this season.