MLB Player News
-
Jorge Polanco 1B | NYM
Mets' Jorge Polanco: Back in starting nine
Polanco (Achilles) will serve as the designated hitter and bat third against the Giants on Saturday.
Polanco's Achilles tendinitis has limited him to working mostly as a DH to begin the regular season, and manager Carlos Mendoza said that the 32-year-old infielder began experiencing renewed discomfort Thursday. Polanco now appears to be feeling well enough to return to his role as New York's DH, though he may not be ready to start every day quite yet.
-
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Finally launches first homer
Guerrero went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the White Sox.
After just missing a homer in the top of the fourth inning on a ball that Austin Hays caught with his back up against the left-field wall, Guerrero left no doubt during his next at-bat in the top of the sixth as he crushed an Anthony Kay slider 437 feet over Hays' head. It was the 27-year-old slugger's first long ball of the year, and through eight games Guerrero's batting .286 (8-for-28) with three runs, four RBI and a 6:3 BB:K.
-
Blaine Crim 1B | TEX
Rockies' Blaine Crim: Activated, optioned to Triple-A
The Rockies reinstated Crim (oblique) from the injured list Saturday and optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Crim missed most of the Cactus League schedule due to a strained left oblique. He received the green light to begin playing in rehab games at Albuquerque on March 31, and he'll officially stay put in the minors now that he's been deemed fully healthy.
-
Carlos Santana 1B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Carlos Santana: Idle Saturday
Santana isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Atlanta.
Santana will get a chance to reset Saturday after going 0-for-17 over his last five games. Jose Fernandez will start at first base while Santana sits, and Adrian Del Castillo will serve as Arizona's designated hitter.
-
Ben Rice 1B | NYY
Yankees' Ben Rice: Goes deep again Friday
Rice went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double and three total RBI in an 8-2 win over Miami on Friday.
Rice logged most of his production late in the contest, cranking a solo homer to right field in the seventh inning and adding a two-run double in the eighth. The powerful first baseman is off to a great start this season, slashing .409/.500/.864 with two homers while leading the Yankees in both runs (seven) and RBI (eight). He's started six of New York's seven games so far, with one of those starts coming as the DH, and even with Paul Goldschmidt in the mix at first base, it seems likely that manager Aaron Boone will get Rice's bat in the lineup nearly every day.
-
Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Starting to find success at plate
Freeman went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run against Washington in a 13-6 win Friday.
It's been a frustrating start to the season for Freeman, who is batting just .214 through seven games despite consistently hitting the ball hard and posting a .268 xBA. However, the star first baseman seems to be turning things around, as he's homered in two straight games and collected a hit in three consecutive contests. Freeman hasn't posted an OPS below .850 since the 2015 season, so the expectation should be for his current .731 mark to jump up considerably over the course of the long campaign.
-
Triston Casas 1B | BOS
Red Sox's Triston Casas: Nearing swinging progression
Manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Casas (knee) will begin a swinging progression Monday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Cora added that Casas' intercostal strain isn't as significant as the team initially believed, so it shouldn't have too much of an impact on his return timeline while he recovers from patellar tendon surgery. The Red Sox haven't moved him to the 60-day injured list yet, so the door remains open for Casas to return sometime before late May.
-
Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Mariners' Josh Naylor: First two RBI of season in win
Naylor went 2-for-5 with two RBI in Friday's 3-1 win over the Angels.
Naylor entered play Friday with one hit and zero RBI across 30 plate appearances, so his two-run single in the 10th inning to plate Cole Young and Julio Rodriguez had to have felt good for the first baseman. Naylor struggled through the spring and World Baseball Classic with Team Canada, but perhaps Friday's two-hit, two-RBI game will help him get on track. He's slashing .094/.171/.094 through eight games.
-
Matt Olson 1B | ATL
Braves' Matt Olson: Homers again Friday
Olson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-0 win over Arizona.
Olson went back-to-back with Ozzie Albies in the ninth inning to produce the lone runs of the game. This was Olson's second long ball in as many days after he hit his first homer of the year in Thursday's 17-2 win over Arizona. The first baseman has hit at least 29 homers in each of the last seven full-length seasons, and he has played in all 162 regular-season games in four straight years, offering reliable power and availability. This season, he's batting .313 with two homers, six RBI, six runs scored and four doubles over eight contests, though he's also racked up 11 strikeouts.
-
Spencer Steer LF | CIN
Reds' Spencer Steer: Goes deep in win
Steer went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.
Steer opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the second inning before adding a double in the ninth. It was a much-needed effort for the 28-year-old, who entered Friday just 1-for-17 through five games. While he dropped from 25 steals in 2024 to seven last season, Steer has tallied 20-plus homers in each of his three full campaigns and should see consistent playing time between the outfield and first base.