MLB Player News

The Mariners acquired Santana and cash considerations from the Royals on Monday in exchange for right-handed pitchers Wyatt Mills and William Fleming.

Santana had produced a below-average batting line in both 2020 and 2021 and looked to be set for his third straight subpar season this year, but a .357/.478/.554 run thus far in June has dragged his wRC+ up to 104. That's still a pretty uninspiring mark for a first baseman, but he should have a path to at least short-term playing time with Ty France out with a flexor strain. He could still start frequently as a designated hitter once France returns, but he's unlikely to be a particularly interesting fantasy option. The Royals called up top prospect Vinnie Pasquantino to take Santana's place on the roster and step in as Kansas City's everyday first baseman.

Guerrero went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in Sunday's loss to the Brewers.

The 23-year-old appears to have found his form after what, by his standards, was a sluggish start to the season. Guerrero has reached base safely in 15 of his last 16 games, slashing .349/.446/.603 over that stretch with four doubles, four homers, 12 RBI and 14 runs.

Tellez went 2-for-4 with two two-run home runs in Sunday's victory over the Blue Jays.

Tellez sent Christian Yelich home on a first-inning shot, then scored Willy Adames on another homer in the second. They were Tellez's 12th and 13th home runs and his first homers with runners on base since May 20. The two-hit performance raised Tellez's batting average to .248 after he went hitless in his last two games.

Santana went 2-for-3 with a double and a two-RBI single in Sunday's loss to the Athletics.

Santana came to the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and though he was unable to clear the bases, he sent Andrew Benintendi and Nicky Lopez home to tie the game at two. The first baseman is on a three-game hit streak and has eight total hits in his last five games. Santana has raised his batting average from .191 to .216 during that span.

Votto went 2-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in a 10-3 win over the Giants on Sunday.

Votto had come into the game riding a cold stretch, slashing a weak .190/.261/.214 over the past 15 days. The two-double day at the plate gives him 13 doubles on the campaign and lifts his season average to .213. Votto got off to a terrible start this year and is hoping to right the ship in the time that remains. He has never hit below .261 in a full season's worth of at-bats.

Bell went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and two runs scored in a 6-4 win over the Rangers on Sunday.

The three-hit performance lifted Bell's average to .308 on the season, and the first baseman now has 46 RBI and 40 runs scored. He has shown dramatically improved contact skills in the first half of 2022, and his average on the season is 47 points higher than his season-long number in 2021. Bell's power numbers don't rival the best corner infielders in the game, but an average over .300 while hitting between the likes of Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz will bode well for his counting stats.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in a extra-inning 6-5 loss to the Cubs on Sunday.

Goldschmidt clobbered a hanging changeup from innings-eater Alec Mills over the left-field wall for his 18th homer of the season. He came close to picking up his second extra-base hit of the day when Ian Happ robbed him of a double with an incredible sliding catch in the seventh. The 34-year-old first baseman is hitting for a higher average than ever before in his career without sacrificing his established power numbers. Goldschmidt has been red hot over the past 15 days and is slashing .360./439/.740 with five home runs over that span despite dealing with back tightness.

Bohm went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a run and an RBI in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Padres.

Bohm hasn't recorded a home run or stolen base since June 7, but his batting average is at least trending upward again after he had fallen into a slump to begin the month. Since sitting out his last game June 13, Bohm has hit .314 while striking out just six times in his last 12 starts. He'll remain in the lineup for Sunday's series finale, manning third base while batting fifth.

Voit is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

Voit started the past two games after missing one contest due to hamstring soreness, and he'll take a seat for Sunday's series finale. Jorge Alfaro will rest his legs as the designated hitter while Austin Nola starts behind the plate.

Padlo started at first base and went 1-for-4 with a go-ahead two-run single in a win over the Angels on Saturday.

Padlo notably drew the start at first base in the second game of what is projected to likely be a multi-week absence for Ty France (forearm) and delivered a clutch knock in the sixth inning to snap a 2-2 tie. Padlo hadn't drawn a start in any of his three appearances since his promotion from Triple-A Tacoma on Monday, but he could work himself into fairly steady playing time at first base while France is on the shelf.