MLB Player News

Downs tallied a career-high four hits, including a home run Thursday for Low-A Dayton.

He now boasts an impressive .314/.368/.457 slash line with one home run and three steals (on three attempts) through 38 plate appearances at Low-A. His 23.7 percent strikeout rate is manageable, particularly for a 19-year-old making his full-season debut, but his .400 BABIP is propping up his batting average a bit.

Adames, who went 0-for-3 in Triple-A Durham's 2-0 loss to Columbus on Thursday, is hitting .174 (4-for-23) over his first seven games.

Half of the 22-year-old middle infielder's four hits have gone for extra bases (a double and a triple), and he has an RBI, four walks, a stolen base and four runs to his credit as well. However, Adames has also struck out on eight occasions over his 28 plate appearances, an early indication that his contact issues persist as he starts his second year at the Triple-A level. Adames has exceeded a 20 percent strikeout rate at every professional stop thus far, an unfavorable aspect of his game that the Rays would surely like to see improve before considering him for a callup to the big-league club.

Bogaerts (ankle) was seen wearing a walking boot again Thursday, Bill Koch of the Providence Journal reports.

It was reported Tuesday that Bogaerts no longer required a walking boot, but he was again spotted wearing one Thursday. It's unclear if he's experienced some sort of setback or if he is simply exercising additional caution. As it stands, the shortstop projects to be roughly a week or so away from returning to the field.

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.

Lindor went 2-for-4 with a double, home run, three RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's win over the Tigers.

Lindor led off the game with a solo shot and followed that up with a two-run double in the second inning. The star shortstop has now tallied four hits in his last two games after collecting just seven hits in his first 44 at-bats this season. It's been a frustratingly slow start for Lindor, but he may finding his groove as we enter the third week of the season.

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.