MLB Player News
-
Josh Rojas 3B | CHW
Diamondbacks' Josh Rojas: Demoted to Triple-A
Rojas was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Monday.
Rojas' season batting line had fallen to .235/.301/.306 and he had started only four of his team's last nine games. The Diamondbacks have ultimately decided it would be best for him to work through his struggles in the minors. Emmanuel Rivera has cooled off recently but could be in line for the bulk of the starts at third base, with Evan Longoria also in the mix.
-
Tony Kemp 2B | MIN
Athletics' Tony Kemp: Extends hit streak in loss
Kemp went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk in a loss to the Phillies on Sunday.
The bar is lowered for what qualifies as a hot streak for Kemp thus far in 2023, so his fourth straight game with a hit is noteworthy by those standards. The profound extent of the veteran's struggles has been somewhat of a mystery by the metrics -- he's carrying an impressive 11.3 percent walk rate and minuscule 11.8 percent strikeout rate -- yet a .182 BABIP has been a major albatross. Kemp may finally be starting to come into some better luck when making contact, but regular playing time is anything but assured on a non-contending team as the season heads into the heart of summer.
-
Brendan Rodgers 2B | BOS
Rockies' Brendan Rodgers: Starting hitting drills
Rodgers (shoulder) is slated to begin hitting drills this week, MLB.com reports.
Rodgers will hit softer practice balls in the batting cage as he slowly ramps things up following surgery during spring training to repair the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He's also fielded some grounders and done some running drills. He still has a long way to go, but the hope is Rodgers might be able to return sometime in August.
-
Gleyber Torres 2B | DET
Yankees' Gleyber Torres: Homer, three hits in doubleheader
Torres belted a two-run homer in the matinee Sunday before going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles in the nightcap against Boston.
Torres provided a bright spot in an otherwise rough day for the Yankees. He opened the scoring in the first game with a two-run shot off Kaleb Ort, his 12th homer of the year and his third since June 8. Following a 1-for-20 stretch to start June, the 26-year-old Torres has gone 9-for-29 (.310) with a 1.065 OPS over his last nine games. He's now slashing .256/.331/.439 with 30 RBI, 41 runs scored and six steals through 296 plate appearances this season.
-
Ozzie Albies 2B | ATL
Braves' Ozzie Albies: Homers again Sunday
Albies went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Sunday's 14-6 win over the Rockies.
Albies put Atlanta ahead 7-5 in the fourth inning with a three-run shot off Chase Anderson, his second homer in as many games. Albies has been raking of late, going 11-for-24 (.458) with three homers and a 1.435 OPS over his last six games. He's now slashing .269/.322/.509 with 17 homers, 52 RBI, 36 runs scored and three stolen bases across 301 plate appearances this season.
-
Andy Ibanez 2B | ATH
Tigers' Andy Ibanez: Chips in three hits Sunday
Ibanez went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Twins.
Ibanez delivered his first hits of the weekend set against Minnesota, though he's been better throughout the month, as he's now batting .361 in June with a 1.119 OPS. The strong performance figures to earn the 30-year-old regular playing time moving forward, though he may continue to serve in more of a utility role rather than settling in at one position. That makes Ibanez valuable for the Tigers and gives him some limited appeal in deeper fantasy formats.
-
Thairo Estrada 2B | BAL
Giants' Thairo Estrada: Keeps running Sunday
Estrada went 0-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Dodgers.
Estrada has picked up the pace on the basepaths, logging three steals over his last four games. He's hit well over the last week, going 9-for-32 (.281) across his last seven contests while adding eight RBI and seven runs scored in that span. He's now 17-for-20 in thefts this season while maintaining a strong .291/.343/.474 slash line over 59 games as the Giants' starting second baseman.
-
Brendan Donovan 2B | SEA
Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Knocks three hits in win
Donovan went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Mets.
Donovan has been seeing the ball well lately, going 15-for-39 (.385) over his last nine games, a span that includes five multi-hit efforts. He continues to be a versatile utility man, capable of filling in all around the diamond while rarely hitting the bench. Donovan's recent surge has him up to a .267/.356/.380 slash line, six home runs, 18 RBI, 32 runs scored and four stolen bases through 66 contests.
-
Christian Arroyo 2B | NYM
Red Sox's Christian Arroyo: Resting during nightcap
Arroyo isn't starting the second game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Yankees, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
Arroyo started at second base during Sunday's matinee but went 0-for-4 in the win. Enrique Hernandez will take over at the keystone and bat seventh in the nightcap.