MLB Player News

Steer isn't in the Reds' lineup for Friday's game against Milwaukee.

Steer has collected at least one base hit in 14 of his last 16 games and is slashing .388/.425/.642 in that span. He'll get a breather in Friday's series opener, allowing Kevin Newman to step in as Cincinnati's first baseman and leadoff hitter.

Cronenworth went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a steal in Thursday's victory over the Marlins.

Cronenworth is now 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts, but he's continued to struggle at the plate. The 29-year-old first baseman is 5-for-31 with 12 strikeouts over his last eight games. Cronenworth's strikeout rate is up to 24.2 percent, which would be the highest mark of his four-year career. He's slashing .206/.325/.371 with six homers, 20 RBI and 24 runs scored through 231 plate appearances.

Dixon went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 10-1 victory over Miami.

Dixon has swung the bat well of late, going 7-for-19 (.368) with a 1.066 OPS over his last seven games. While the 31-year-old isn't likely to play enough to have value in shallower fantasy formats, he's been solid off the bench for the Padres, slashing .243/.310/.378 with a home run and three RBI through 42 plate appearances.

Naylor was scratched from the lineup Thursday versus the Twins due to a sore wrist, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Naylor jammed his wrist while sliding into third base Wednesday against the Orioles, a bit of fallout from what was a four-hit, six-RBI performance for the 25-year-old slugger. Josh Bell is now in the DH spot for the Guardians on Thursday and Gabriel Arias will enter the lineup at first base. Naylor is likely day-to-day.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and three strikeouts in Wednesday's 12-8 win over the Orioles.

Bell has hit safely in 12 of his last 16 games, but he's batting just .236 with three extra-base hits over that span. Wednesday marked his third straight game with an RBI. The first baseman owns a .224/.330/.350 slash line with four homers, 25 RBI, eight runs scored and 11 doubles through 52 contests. While he hasn't been immune from the Guardians' team-wide hitting problems, he remains in a fairly consistent role between first base and designated hitter.

Calhoun has exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract with the Yankees, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Calhoun is not yet a free agent, as the Yanks have 48 hours to add him to the roster or release him. Given that they are bringing Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring), Josh Donaldson (hamstring) and Tommy Kahnle (biceps) all back from the injured list Friday, it's difficult to see them finding a fit for Calhoun. Morosi notes that Calhoun has made a swing change while at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and has produced a .963 OPS with four homers in 21 games.

Isaac slashed .289/.449/.605 with three home runs and five strikeouts in 12 May games for Single-A Charleston.

The Rays selected Isaac out of high school with the 29th overall pick in last year's draft because of his bat. The 6-foot-3 lefty-hitting first baseman has 70-grade raw power, and the early returns on his hit tool are very encouraging. In May, he had a 10.2 percent strikeout rate and 20.4 percent walk rate, and his 1.25 BB/K is the fifth-best mark in the Carolina League. He missed two weeks in the middle of the month with an undisclosed injury and never landed on the injured list.

The Phillies selected Ellis' contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Ellis had a 1.009 OPS with eight home runs in 21 games this season between Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading. The 27-year-old can play all over the infield but will primarily serve as the Phillies' first baseman versus left-handed pitching while Alec Bohm (hamstring) is on the shelf.

The Phillies placed Bohm on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a strained left hamstring, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Bohm first hurt his hamstring this past weekend, tried to return and then aggravated the issue. Phillies manager Rob Thomson has termed the strain as "very mild," so there's a chance the 26-year-old will be ready for activation when first eligible June 10. Edmundo Sosa and Josh Harrison will get a lot of run at third base in the meantime, with Kody Clemens and Drew Ellis playing first base -- at least until Darick Hall (thumb) returns.

Arias went 1-for-3 with two walks and a two-run home run in Wednesday's 12-8 win over the Orioles.

Since mid-May, Arias has gotten semi-regular at-bats while playing multiple different positions, but he's slashing just .198/.298/.385 across 40 games (104 plate appearances). He's started just 28 games this year but is still tied with Josh Bell for the third-most home runs on the team (four). Despite the poor overall numbers, the Guardians will likely continue to find ways to get Arias' bat in the lineup, at least against lefties.