MLB Player News

Giron was activated from the DL by Single-A Fort Wayne on Thursday.

Giron started at shortstop in his first game back and promptly went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts, lowering his average to .196. The shortstop was only hitting .216 with six RBI prior to his return. His backup, Peter Van Gansen, batted .241 with three RBI as his replacement. Giron will need to show improvement if he is to keep the starting role.

Baez is in the lineup for Friday's game against the Braves.

Baez has started just five games since joining the Cubs in mid-April, but he will get the nod at third base Friday with Kris Bryant (ankle) out, and will hit fifth against Braves starter Aaron Blair. Bryant is not facing a long-term absence but could be out a couple days, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, which could result in more starts for Baez in the near future.

Gordon tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and has been suspended for 80 games, Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reports.

The defending National League batting champion and a consensus second-round pick in most fantasy drafts this spring will miss 80 games after testing positive for exogenous testosterone and clostebol. At 5-foot 11 and 171 pounds, the 28-year-old Gordon doesn't fit the stereotypical build of a PED user at 5-foot-11, but his career trajectory fits the general mold, as many had given up on him after the 2013 season, but then he morphed into an All-Star-caliber player in 2014 and 2015. The 80-game suspension will keep him out until July 28. Derek Dietrich figures to be the replacement at the keystone in the meantime, making him a worthwhile pickup in deeper leagues.

Story is not in the lineup Thursday against the Pirates, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

It looks like another routine day off for Story, who hit his ninth home run of the season Wednesday but will sit for the second time in three games. Colorado will go with Christhian Adames at short, and he'll bat second against Pittsburgh's Juan Nicasio.

Story went 1-for-6 with his ninth homer of the year -- a solo shot -- in Wednesday's win over the Pirates.

He also struck out three more times and is now hitting .241, a fact that fantasy owners shouldn't ignore when celebrating Story's tie with Bryce Harper and Nolan Arenado at the top of the MLB leaderboard in homers. The rookie shortstop has been fanned a stunning 34 times in 92 plate appearances, giving him a ridiculous 37 percent strikeout rate -- the second-worst in all of baseball. Playing half his games at Coors Field should prop up his numbers regardless, but even if he cuts down the whiffs, it doesn't look like Story's going to contribute much in the way of batting average. Still, his fantasy owners won't complain about the power numbers he gives them at shortstop.

Diaz extended his hitting streak to seven games Wednesday by going 2-for-4 with his fourth homer, a walk, two RBI and three runs against the Diamondbacks.

He's been absolutely explosive whenever given the chance to hit this year, as Diaz now owns a simply ridiculous .468/.500/.823 batting line that would make even Barry Bonds jealous. Of course, there's essentially no chance he can keep up anything even vaguely resembling this -- we're talking about a guy who put up a .278/.339/.445 line across two stops in the minors last season, and once Jhonny Peralta (hand) is ready to return around midseason, it's hard to see where Diaz plays. That said, there's no reason not to pick him up and enjoy the ride right now.

Crawford left Wednesday's matchup against the Padres with a knee injury, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports.

Crawford fouled a ball off his knee in the fifth inning, which eventually led to his exit after the sixth. Fortunately, manager Bruce Bochy indicated the knee was just sore and he should be fine. Crawford finished the day 0-for-3 with one RBI. The Giants have an off day Thursday, so consider him day-to-day until his status for Friday's tilt with the Mets is confirmed.

Story is back in the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates, batting second in the orde against Pittsburgh.

After getting the day off for Tuesday's matchup against the Pirates, Story will draw back into the lineup Wednesday when the Rockies face left-hander Jon Niese. Story is hitting .286 with a 1.042 OPS and two home runs against southpaws this season.

Owings is not in the lineup Wednesday night against the Cardinals.

Although he was a middle infielder prior to this season, Owings has been playing in center due to A.J. Pollock's elbow injury. With the 24-year-old out of the lineup for Wednesday's game, David Peralta will slide over to center while Brandon Drury gets the start in right, which may not be optimal on defense, but it really bolsters Arizona's lineup.

Arcia went 3-for-6 with a grand slam and three stolen bases in a game with Triple-A Colorado Springs on Tuesday.

Arcia had just one home run and no steals in his first 16 games with Colorado Springs, but he upped his count in both areas with his big game Tuesday. While his totals in those two categories don't jump off the page, he has excelled in other aspects in his first go-around at the Triple-A level, knocking in 13 runs in 17 games and hitting .313 while striking out just eight times over that span. The Brewers' plans for Arcia this season still are not certain, but he seems to be doing whatever he can to earn a call-up at some point.