MLB Player News
-
Randal Grichuk RF | KC
Diamondbacks' Randal Grichuk: Belts first homer
Grichuk entered Friday's game as a pinch hitter and hit a solo home run in a 14-11 loss to the Dodgers.
Grichuk hit the second of back-to-back solo home runs in the eighth inning. His shot increased Arizona's lead to 11-8 lead before the bullpen melted down in the ninth. The homer was the first of the season for Grichuk, who thus far in 2025 has been unable to repeat his impactful 2024 season. His OPS (.678) is nearly 200 points lower than where it finished last season.
-
Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Completes late comeback
Ohtani went 3-for-6 with a three-home run, two doubles, an additional RBI and two total runs scored in Friday's 14-11 win over the Diamondbacks.
Ohtani had an RBI double in the second inning, but he saved the fireworks for the ninth. He punctuated the Dodgers' six-run rally in the ninth with his homer, putting them ahead again after they previously blew a five-run lead. Ohtani is on one of his power binges again -- during his seven-game hitting streak, he has gone 12-for-29 (.414) with five homers, four doubles and a triple, as well as 10 RBI and 11 runs scored. His batting average (.304) is above .300 for the first time since April 9, and he's added a 1.063 OPS, 12 homers, 20 RBI, 43 runs, 10 steals, eight doubles and four triples over 37 contests. Another 50-50 campaign is likely asking too much, but Ohtani still has 40-40 potential at his current pace.
-
Gavin Sheets RF | SD
Padres' Gavin Sheets: Piles up four RBI vs. Rockies
Sheets went 2-for-5 with two doubles, four RBI and a run scored in Friday's 13-9 win over Colorado.
Sheets matched a season high with four RBI, and it was his third multi-hit game already this month. While he went just 1-for-23 to close out April, the 29-year-old slugger is batting .389 with one home run and six RBI over 18 at-bats in May. The lefty-hitting Sheets routinely sees the bench against left-handed pitchers, which restricts his overall fantasy upside, but he's hitting .299 with four long balls, five doubles, 17 RBI and eight walks over 87 at-bats versus right-handed pitching.
-
Kris Bryant RF | COL
Rockies' Kris Bryant: Undergoes successful surgery
Bryant successfully underwent ablation surgery on his back Thursday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.
Bryant will rest for the next 72 hours, and he's expected to return to Denver next weekend to start building strength in his back. He'll likely need several weeks to recover from the procedure and is without a timeline for a return. Bryant played just 11 games before landing on the injured list in mid-April, going 6-for-39 with one RBI and a 31.7 percent strikeout rate.
-
Wilmer Flores 1B | SF
Giants' Wilmer Flores: Three hits in win
Flores went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Cubs.
Following an 0-for-15 slump, Flores now has at least one hit in his last six games -- he's gone 9-for-24 (.375) with five RBI in that span. The 33-year-old Flores is now slashing .256/.308/.429 through 143 plate appearances this season with seven homers, 33 RBI and 17 runs scored.
-
Luken Baker DH | LAD
Cardinals' Luken Baker: Optioned to Triple-A
The Cardinals optioned Baker to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.
Baker has played sparingly as the short side of a platoon at designated hitter, slashing .235/.366/.324 over 41 plate appearances. The Cardinals have not announced a corresponding move, but it will likely involve activating Ivan Herrera (knee) from the 10-day injured list prior to Friday's game against the Nationals.
-
Kris Bryant RF | COL
Rockies' Kris Bryant: Due for surgery
Bryant (back) will undergo an ablation procedure Thursday to help aid in his recovery from a lumbar degenerative disc disease, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
An updated return timeline will likely come out after Bryant goes under the knife, though he will presumably need several weeks to recover before starting up his rehab. The 33-year-old has been on the injured list since mid-April and was slashing just .154/.195/.205 when healthy.
-
Josh Bell DH | MIN
Nationals' Josh Bell: Exiting starting nine
Bell is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Guardians.
Bell returned to action in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader after missing the previous four contests with a groin issue. While Bell seems to be healthy now, the Nationals are going with James Wood at designated hitter and Alex Call in left field for Wednesday's series finale.
-
Spencer Steer 1B | CIN
Reds' Spencer Steer: Makes first outfield start
Steer started in left field and went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Atlanta.
Steer made his first outfield start of the season. He opened the year with a shoulder injury that limited him to DH before improving enough to play first base the last three weeks. He joins the rotation of bodies filling for the injured Austin Hays (hamstring) in left field.