MLB Player News

Hot-and-cold Diamondbacks shortstop Chris Owings was hot early this week. Now he's cold.

Owings has remained inconsistent all season. The latest example was a 12-for-22 outburst followed by his current 2-for-17 slide. It all adds up to a mediocre .252/.273/.367 slash line with just 10 RBI in 139 at-bats.

He is also striking out at a much higher rate in 2015 than he did a year ago. Owings has fanned 35 times.

Diamondbacks infielder Cliff Pennington ended a 0-for-16 slump during Thursday's 7-6 win at Miami. Pennington went 1 for 2 with one RBI, one walk and two runs.

Pennington had an RBI double in the sixth inning, which chased Marlins starting pitcher Mat Latos from the game. It was second RBI of the season.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford is being held out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Dodgers. Crawford has been red-hot at the plate, batting .432 over his last 10 games. But he has just one hit in 18 career at-bats against Dodgers' starter Clayton Kershaw. 

So, after starting each of the last eight games, Crawford will take a seat in favor of Joaquin Arias on Thursday. Crawford should be back in the lineup on Friday. 

Brandon Crawford has become a weapon within the Giants' offense, no matter who the opposing pitchers are.

Crawford, who has historically been better against left-handed pitchers, is hitting .265 against right-handed pitchers. He is still dominating lefties, hitting .414 with 2 home runs and seven RBI in 29 at-bats.

"I'm feeling good against lefties and righties right now," Crawford said. "That, along with being aggressive with pitches I like in the zone, that's been working for me. I feel good, but I'm not really focusing on what I've done the past week or tonight. Tomorrow is a new day."

The shortstop is on a five-game hitting streak, hitting .524/.545/.762 with a home run and nine RBI in 21 at-bats. 

Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed went 2 for 3 in Tuesday's win over Miami. 

Ahmed increased his average to .181 and drove in a run, his fifth of the season. 

Braves infielder Pedro Ciriaco is in the starting lineup for the second time this season, as he will be the starting third baseman on Tuesday against the Rays. Ciriaco started Sunday's game at shortstop, but will slide over to the hot corner with Phil Gosselin lost for at least two months with a thumb injury.

The light-hitting Ciriaco is batting second in the order on Tuesday. He does have three hits in seven at-bats this season, with all of them going for extra bases (two doubles and a triple).

Tony La Russa, the Diamondbacks chief baseball officer, had be thinks shortstop Nick Ahmed will improve with the bat due to all the work he's been putting in, according to MLB.com.

"I think Ahmed is making a real positive effort with Turner and Mark to build a stroke that he can repeat, that's gonna make him an offensive plus," La Russa said. "We believe in him because we know the talent, we know the work ethic. But you don't just flip the switch. He's making adjustments and he'll continue to adjust."

Ahmed, an outstanding defender, entered Sunday with a .165 batting average.

Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Simmons has started all 36 games at shortstop this season but will receive his first break Sunday, with Pedro Ciriaco taking his place at the position and batting seventh. It's the first start of the season at any position for the backup infielder, who is 2 for 4 with two RBI in five games.

The Braves are underdogs (+117) in Miami Sunday, per VegasInsider.com.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford went 3 for 5 at the plate in San Francisco's 11-2 win over the Reds on Saturday.

Crawford did his damage in the fifth inning when he crushed a grand slam off of Mike Leake, the third of his career. Crawford totaled a career-high six RBI in the game, the first time a Giants player has done so since 2013. 

"He's so gifted defensively, but he's underrated as a hitter," manager Bruce Bochy said to MLB.com.

"Look at the numbers. He's a very productive hitter who finds a way to get the runs in. He seems to have great focus up there with men on base. He's dangerous, too. He can hit the ball out of the park, as you saw. He's a good baserunner. He's just a good all-around ballplayer."

Crawford moved his average to .277 with 24 RBI in 120 at-bats this season.

Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon continued his hot hitting during Friday's 5-3 loss to the Braves.

Gordon went 3 for 5 with one run scored. He is now batting .433 on the season. Gordon is 37 for 72 over his last 17 games.

Gordon is now tied for the second most hits in the first 33 games of the season in major league history, according to FOX Sports. Gordon has 61 hits in 33 games. He trails only Hank Aaron, who had 66 in 1959.