MLB Player News
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Mark Canha 1B | SF
Tigers' Mark Canha: Records three hits in win
Canha went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Monday's 8-2 win over the Guardians.
Canha hasn't really gotten going this season, as he's batting just .236 overall, but he's riding a modest three-game hitting streak and is batting .303 in July. The veteran did miss some time earlier this month due to hip and wrist issues, but he seems healthy coming out of the All-Star break and should continue to see regular playing time for the Tigers.
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Michael Busch 1B | CHC
Cubs' Michael Busch: Tallies two hits, steals base
Busch went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Monday's 3-1 win over the Brewers. He also stole a base.
Busch tallying two hits isn't surprising, as he's batting a solid .270 this season and .313 this month. However, the stolen base is a bit more unusual, as it was just his second of the year and first since May 10. Even without being a threat on the bases, Busch has been a solid fantasy asset, and he should continue to produce given his regular role in the heart of the Cubs' lineup.
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Josh Bell 1B | ARI
Marlins' Josh Bell: Slugs 10th homer
Bell went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and an additional RBI in Monday's loss to the Mets.
Bell took Mets starter David Peterson deep in the fifth inning before adding an RBI groundout in the ninth. The 31-year-old has struggled mightily during the month of July, batting just .136 with two home runs, seven RBI and three runs scored in 15 games.
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Triston Casas 1B | BOS
Red Sox's Triston Casas: Showing signs of progress
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Casas (ribs) could be close to turning a corner in his recovery, Ian Browne of MLB.comreports.
Cora was relaying what he was told by a trainer and didn't divulge further details, but it's an encouraging update after the skipper indicated over the weekend that Casas was not close to beginning a rehab assignment. A return timeline still appears very much up in the air for the first baseman, who has been sidelined since late April with a strain and torn cartilage in his left rib cage.
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Nolan Schanuel 1B | LAA
Angels' Nolan Schanuel: Back in lineup Monday
Schanuel (calf) is starting at first base and batting second in Monday's series opener against the Mariners, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Schanuel began Sunday's game in the dugout after exiting early Saturday due to left calf tightness. However, the lefty-hitting first baseman was able to pinch hit Sunday, going 2-for-2 with an RBI single in an 8-5 win over Oakland. Schanuel will face off against Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller on Monday.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Homers in Sunday's win
Freeman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 9-6 win over the Red Sox.
Freeman crushed a first-pitch fastball from Kutter Crawford to right-center field to get the Dodgers on the board in the first inning. He now has three homers in his last six games and is up to 16 for the year. Freeman is one of three hitters in the majors with a strikeout rate below 15.0 percent and an ISO greater than .200. The 34-year-old is slashing .292/.305/.503 with 66 RBI, 61 runs and a 58:66 BB:K in 438 plate appearances this year.
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Spencer Torkelson 1B | DET
Tigers' Spencer Torkelson: Struggles continuing at Triple-A
Torkelson is slashing .229/.347/.375 with five home runs, a 14.8 percent walk rate and a 30.6 percent strikeout rate over 173 plate appearances at Triple-A Toledo since his June 3 demotion.
Though he's now been at Triple-A for a month and a half, Torkelson hasn't provided any evidence that he's made enough progress with his plate approach to return to Detroit. After turning in a .129 ISO in 229 plate appearances with the Tigers prior to his demotion, Torkelson has shown only slightly more pop at against lesser pitching (.146 ISO), and his strikeout rate is actually six points higher than what he posted in the majors. Expect the Tigers to continue to get by with a committee of players at first base until Torkelson starts producing at a level that warrants a call-up.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | STL
Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Clubs 14th homer
Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-2 loss to Atlanta.
Goldschmidt entered the contest with no hits in 12 at-bats over the previous three games and was dropped to seventh in the St. Louis batting order, the lowest he's hit in a game since the 2012 season. He broke out of his funk in the second inning, when he clubbed his 14th home run of the season to put the Cardinals on the board. However, the long ball was the only hit of the day for the veteran first baseman, who also struck out twice. Goldschmidt is currently on pace to finish with career-low marks in average (.225), on-base percentage (.287) and slugging percentage (.372), and he's also maintaining his highest strikeout rate (28.9 percent) since his rookie season.
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Kris Bryant DH | COL
Rockies' Kris Bryant: Rehab stint going well
Bryant (oblique) has gone 6-for-11 with two home runs across three games with Triple-A Albuquerque.
Bryant has had another frustrating season dominated by injuries, as he's hit just .186 with a .586 OPS in 101 plate appearances. His current form suggests he should be nearing a return from the injured list, most likely at some point during the Rockies' upcoming weekend series in San Francisco.