MLB Player News

Cruz went 2-for-5 with an RBI, a double, a run scored and two stolen bases Thursday against the Nationals.

Cruz started his fifth straight game with a lefty starter on the mound, and he's only been benched once against southpaws this season. He continued his hot start to the campaign, doubling in a run in the fifth inning. Cruz also swiped two bases, giving him nine across 19 games while being caught just once.

Williams and Atlanta agreed on a minor-league contract Thursday.

Williams elected free agency Wednesday after being designated for assignment by Atlanta on Monday, but he will now return to the organization. The 29-year-old will look to impress with Triple-A Gwinnett in an attempt to potentially earn another shot with the major-league roster later this year.

Turner went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's 11-2 loss to the Cubs.

Turner wasted no time getting Philadelphia on the board, crushing a 423-foot solo homer off Shota Imanaga on the second pitch of the game. It was his second home run of the season and extended his strong stretch at the plate. Turner has now recorded a hit in 14 of his last 15 games, batting .283 with seven RBI and 10 runs scored across 64 plate appearances during that span.

De La Cruz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Giants.

De La Cruz continued his recent surge, taking Tyler Mahle deep for a 442-foot solo shot in the fourth inning for his sixth home run of the season. It was also the 24-year-old's third homer in his last five games, a stretch in which he's gone 8-for-19 with five RBI. The dynamic shortstop appears to be settling into a groove at the plate after a somewhat uneven start.

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Mariners.

Bogaerts got the Padres on the board with his blast off Emerson Hancock in the sixth inning. The shortstop has hit safely in eight of the last nine games, and five of his efforts in that span have included multiple hits. He's also clubbed all three of his homers this season during that hot stretch. Bogaerts is batting .284 with a .790 OPS, 13 RBI, five runs scored, two doubles and two stolen bases over 17 contests.

Shaw went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 11-2 win over the Phillies.

Shaw got into a nice groove Wednesday as he delivered his first three-hit effort of the season and doubled his extra-base hit total. The 24-year-old also raised his batting average from .200 to .245 in the process. Shaw has seen his playing time trend down with Seiya Suzuki back from the injured list, though the former can still provide some fantasy value from a super-utility role due to his ability to hit for power and swipe a base.

Swanson went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and two total RBI in Wednesday's 11-2 win over the Phillies.

Swanson appears to be heating up, as he now has three home runs across his last four games. The shortstop's batting average is still sitting at just .200, but his recent surge suggests that figure will continue to climb. Swanson has also yet to sit out a game this season, and his consistent playing time should offer him plenty of opportunities to keep racking up counting stats while he's locked in at the plate.

Griffin is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Nationals.

Nick Gonzales will get a start at shortstop while Griffin receives a day off. The 19-year-old is hitting only .189/.279/.243 in his first 43 plate appearances for the Pirates, though he has reached base four times over his last two games.

Saggese is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians.

Saggese will hit the bench for a second straight matchup versus a right-handed pitcher (Slade Cecconi) while the Cardinals give Nathan Church a spin in left field. After putting together a recent five-game hit streak in which he went 7-for-16, Saggese has gone hitless with five strikeouts in 10 at-bats over the Cardinals' last three contests.

Adames went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Reds.

All the game's scoring came on solo homers, with Adames accounting for the Giants' only run when he hammered a Brady Singer sweeper over the left-field fence in the fifth inning. The shortstop has racked up five multi-hit performances over the last seven games with seven doubles and two homers among his 11 hits, but somehow he has only three RBI to show for that impressive surge as the rest of the San Francisco offense struggles around him.