MLB Player News
-
Brendan Donovan 2B | STL
Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Returns to St. Louis lineup
Donovan (rib) will start at second base and bat third in Friday's game versus the Brewers.
Donovan missed the previous two contests after he had a rib pop out of place, but he's back in there for the start of the series against the Brewers. The 28-year-old will carry a .925 OPS into play Friday.
-
Jeff McNeil 2B | ATH
Mets' Jeff McNeil: Hitting eighth in season debut
McNeil will start at second base and bat eighth in Friday's contest versus the Nationals.
It will be the season debut for McNeil, who missed the first four weeks of the season with a right oblique strain. The 33-year-old will serve as the Mets' primary second baseman but is also expected to see some action in the outfield.
-
Leonardo Rivas SS | SEA
Mariners' Leo Rivas: Swipes third bag
Rivas went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Red Sox.
Rivas has impressed while starting three of Seattle's last four games, going 6-for-12 in that span. The 27-year-old switch-hitter has primarily started against left-handed pitching, though he's making a case for a more prominent role in the Mariners' lineup. Rivas appeared in 43 games last season, slashing .233/.333/.274 with 10 runs scored, eight RBI and three steals.
-
Tim Tawa 2B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Tim Tawa: Tower of power
Tawa went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's 7-4 extra-inning loss to the Rays.
Tawa's fifth-inning home run put Arizona up 4-1. The homer was the third in five games for the 26-year-old, who has six extra-base knocks among his nine hits (.389 ISO) over 36 at-bats. Tawa was making his fifth straight start Thursday in place of Ketel Marte (hamstring), while Garrett Hampson last started at second base a week ago. Marte just began a running program, but Arizona has yet to indicate when he might be ready for a rehab assignment.
-
Brett Baty 3B | NYM
Mets' Brett Baty: Sent to minors
Baty was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, Manny Gomez of NJ.com reports.
Baty launched his first home run of the season Wednesday but has struggled to a .204 average paired with a 33.3 percent strikeout rate across 57 plate appearances to begin the year. With Jeff McNeil (oblique) back on the field, Baty will try to regain his form with Syracuse.
-
Jeff McNeil 2B | ATH
Mets' Jeff McNeil: Officially back from injury
McNeil (oblique) was activated from the 10-day injured list Thursday, Manny Gomez of NJ.com reports.
McNeil was on track to return from the injured list Friday, but club instead elected to push through the transaction on Thursday's off day. He's expected to serve in a large-side platoon at second base while hitting near the bottom of the Mets' order. McNeil went 11-for-28 across eight games during his rehab assignment.
-
Adam Frazier 2B | KC
Pirates' Adam Frazier: Sitting against lefty
Frazier is not starting Thursday against the Angels.
Frazier will sit with lefty Tyler Anderson on the mound for the Angels, and he's now been in the lineup for only two of six games against southpaws this season. Jared Triolo will start at second base and hit eighth.
-
Zack Gelof 2B | ATH
Athletics' Zack Gelof: Nearing rehab assignment
Gelof (wrist) is expected to begin a rehab assignment early next week, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
Gelof has yet to play this season but has resumed taking batting practice and running the bases this week. He will report directly to Triple-A Las Vegas and is expected to get at least 35 at-bats, meaning a mid-May return remains realistic.
-
Lenyn Sosa 2B | CHW
White Sox's Lenyn Sosa: Smacks solo homer
Sosa went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Twins.
Sosa got the White Sox on the board in the second inning, when he took the first pitch of the at-bat from Chris Paddack deep to left-center field for a solo homer. It was Sosa's second home run of the season (the first of which took place on Opening Day), and he's recorded at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games, going 12-for-36 (.333) over that span.