MLB Player News
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Zachary Neto SS | LAA
Angels' Zach Neto: Launches homer Friday
Neto went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in a 9-3 win against the Rangers on Friday.
Neto broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning with a 405-foot, two-run blast to left field. The shortstop has homered in consecutive contests after going deep just once through his first 13 games in May. Neto is enjoying a strong month overall, slashing .308/.345/.519 with three homers, five RBI, seven runs and two stolen bases over 15 contests.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Drives in five
Baez went 3-for-4 with two doubles, five RBI and a run scored in Friday's 13-0 win over the Diamondbacks.
Baez was given a vote of confidence from manager A.J. Hinch earlier this week, and he made good on it with his best game of the season. This was the shortstop's third multi-hit effort this season and the first time he's driven in multiple runs. Baez is still slashing a paltry .185/.216/.254 with one home run, 18 RBI, nine runs scored, six doubles and six stolen bases over 38 contests. He's set to remain the starting shortstop for the foreseeable future, as the Tigers have no obvious candidates to push him for playing time.
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Dylan Moore LF | PHI
Mariners' Dylan Moore: Keeps hitting ball hard Friday
Moore went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run in a loss to the Orioles on Friday.
Moore's penchant for hard contact was on display once again, and 12 of his 23 hits this season have gone for extra bases. The veteran utility man has reached safely in five of his last seven contests, and he's generated three multi-hit efforts in the last nine games.
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Gunnar Henderson 3B | BAL
Orioles' Gunnar Henderson: Triple, home run in win
Henderson went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an RBI triple and a second run scored in Friday's 9-2 win over the Mariners.
Henderson led off the game with a solo shot off Bryce Miller, his 13th homer of the year, before driving in a second run with an opposite-field triple in the seventh inning. While Henderson's gotten off to a great start this year, he'd been slumping a bit coming into Friday's contest, going 0-for-11 in his prior three games. Overall, the 22-year-old shortstop is slashing .263/.339/.569 with 29 RBI, 32 runs scored and six steals across 189 plate appearances this season.
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J.P. Crawford SS | SEA
Mariners' J.P. Crawford: Has clubhouse locker, not with team
Crawford (oblique/hand) didn't travel with the team to Baltimore but has a locker in the Mariners' clubhouse, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
The veteran shortstop was hit by a pitch on the hand during a rehab game Wednesday, and he's experienced some swelling and soreness. The fact that Crawford has a locker indicates he might return from the injured list this weekend.
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Ceddanne Rafaela CF | BOS
Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Gets break Friday
Rafaela is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals.
Rafaela will get a break as Boston kicks off its series against the Cardinals. The second-year major leaguer opened the campaign as the Red Sox's primary center fielder but has mostly played shortstop over the past month. The lineup absence marks his first time on the bench since April 11.
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Jose Caballero 2B | NYY
Rays' Jose Caballero: Gets break Friday
Caballero is not in the lineup for Friday's matchup against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Caballero has started in the majority of games for Tampa Bay at shortstop this season, but he will get a break as the Rays kick off their series with Toronto. It's the 27-year-old's sixth absences in 46 this season, and he's slashing .252/.309/.360 with 17 stolen bases and 13 RBI. Amed Rosario will get the start in place of Caballero at shortstop and against the Blue Jays.
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Braden Shewmake SS | NYY
White Sox's Braden Shewmake: Optioned to Triple-A
Shewmake was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.
The 26-year-old will move back to Charlotte with Danny Mendick (back) being reinstated from the 10-day IL on Friday. Shewmake struggled during 29 games in the bigs, slashing .125/.134/.203 with one walk across 67 plate appearances.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Will not be benched
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Monday that he has no plans to bench Baez, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
"He's going to play, a lot," Hinch said. Baez has again been one of the least productive regulars from an offensive standpoint in baseball, slashing just .167/.200/.222 with one home run over 135 plate appearances. He's hit only .223/.265/.346 since signing a six-year, $140 million contract prior to the 2022 campaign. Baez also has graded out poorly defensively in 2024 with minus-4 Outs Above Average, although he was plus-9 in OAA in 2023 and the Tigers still seem happy with his defense. Given that the underwhelming Zach McKinstry would represent their likely alternative at shortstop, the Tigers appear willing to continue riding it out with Baez in hopes that he can rebound to at least a competent level at the plate.
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Anthony Volpe SS | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Volpe: Keeps raking with homer
Volpe went 2-for-5 with a solo home run during Thursday's 5-0 win over the Twins.
Volpe extended his hit streak to nine games with a first-inning solo home run off Joe Ryan. During that stretch, Volpe has gone yard three times with 10 total RBI while logging multiple hits in four contests. After an up-and-down rookie campaign, Volpe owns a .273/.348/.432 slash line with six homers and nine stolen bases through 199 plate appearances in 2024.