MLB Player News

DeJong went 1-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI Thursday against the Reds.

DeJong's 40 percent hard contact rate and 44 percent flyball rate to begin the season highlight his power upside. Despite those numbers, his home run tonight was just his fifth extra-base hit of the season and his first home run since April 2. His production will likely continue to come sporadically throughout the season thanks to a strikeout rate that is also clearing 40 percent in the early going.

Turner is leading off Thursday's contest against the Rockies.

With Adam Eaton (ankle) sidelined, Turner will take a turn hitting atop the order. He and Brian Goodwin seem like the logical leadoff candidates while Eaton is out, which could give them greater run-scoring opportunities while hitting ahead of Anthony Rendon and Bryce Harper.

Pennington is not in the lineup Thursday against the Cardinals.

There were some thoughts that Pennington could take over the vacant third base job while Eugenio Suarez (thumb) is out, but it seems like the Reds want to test out their younger options first. Alex Blandino will start Thursday and could continue to see a good amount of time at the hot corner along with Phil Gosselin. Nick Senzel is also looming in the minors and could fill the void in the coming weeks.

Crawford hit his first homer, a two-run shot, in a 1-for-3 game Wednesday against the Reds.

Crawford was a brutal 2-for-26 heading into Wednesday's game without an extra-base hit. The top prospect desperately needed something like this to get going, and hopefully the fact that he provided two of the four Phillies runs in a hotly contested win can help him get on the right track.

Rojas went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Mets.

His second homer of the season gave the Marlins a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning, but it was the only run they managed to score all game. Rojas is currently hitting second in the order, giving him a little extra value in deeper fantasy formats, but he's already set a new career high for home runs in a season, and his playing time will dwindle once J.T. Riddle (shoulder) gets healthy.

Baez went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's win over the Pirates.

Baez has now hit two home runs in back-to-back games. After a slow start to the season, the 25-year-old seems to be heating up. Fantasy players should ride his bat as long as this power streak keeps up.

Pennington is not starting Wednesday against the Philles.

In the three games since Eugenio Suarez went down with a fractured thumb, Pennington has started just once, with Alex Blandino and Phil Gosselin (who starts Wednesday) each getting one start. Highly rated prospect Nick Senzel could be up later this week to take over as the Reds' primary third baseman, which would leave Pennington with even fewer opportunities for playing time. The veteran is better suited for a utility role, which he'll likely resume again soon.

DeJong is not in the lineup against Milwaukee on Wednesday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

For the first time this year, DeJong will occupy a spot on the pine while Greg Garcia earns a start at short for the series finale. During the first 11 games, DeJong has slashed .302/.333/.535 with three home runs and five RBI. Expect him back in the lineup against the Reds on Thursday.

Swanson went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Nationals.

Braves hitters only managed five hits on the night, and the team's double-play duo of Swanson and Ozzie Albies collected four of them. Swanson is off to a hot start, slashing .366/.381/.585 with one homer and eight RBI through 10 games, but his 1:8 BB:K and .438 BABIP are both strong signs he could cool down rapidly.

Seager went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the Dodgers' 4-0 win over the Athletics on Tuesday.

The long-awaited first long ball of the season finally came for the struggling shortstop, as he managed to touch up A's starter Sean Manaea with a first-inning solo blast. Seager is still hitting just .211 with two RBI through 38 at-bats but it was encouraging to see him leave the yard, especially with concerns over an elbow injury he battled throughout spring training possibly hampering his production. Owners will hope Tuesday's homer is what he needed to jumpstart his season and regain his All-Star caliber form going forward.