MLB Player News
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Ezequiel Duran 2B | TEX
Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Contributes to win
Duran started at second base and went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, a double, two RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Yankees.
Duran had a run-producing double in the third inning and scored later in the same inning. He's started both of the Rangers' games since Josh Smith (glute) landed on the 10-day injured list and will likely be the primary replacement at the keystone while Smith is on the shelf. Given how productive he's been when given a chance to play, Duran could be making a case for sticking around in an everyday role even once Smith is healthy. Duran has slashed .303/.372/.461 with nine extra-base hits, 11 RBI, four steals and 12 runs over 28 games while receiving reps at second base, shortstop, third base, right field and left field.
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C.J. Abrams SS | WAS
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Hits grand slam Wednesday
Abrams went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, two doubles, an additional RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's win over the Twins.
Abrams plated a run in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double that scored James Wood and later crossed home plate in the bottom of the sixth following an RBI double from Brady House. However, his big moment would come in the bottom of the eighth with one out, as he cleared the bases with the second grand slam of his career. Abrams now has nine homers on the year and recorded a multi-hit performance for the fourth time in his last seven games, a stretch where he's hitting .423 with a robust 1.269 OPS across 30 plate appearances.
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Konnor Griffin SS | PIT
Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Notches eighth steal
Griffin went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Diamondbacks.
Griffin's knock extended his hitting streak to eight games, a span in which he's gone 12-for-29 (.414) with five extra-base hits and two steals. The shortstop hasn't shown a ton of power yet, but everything else has looked pretty good so far. He's batting .266 with a .735 OPS, two home runs, 16 RBI, 13 runs scored, eight steals, five doubles and two triples across 31 contests. Griffin is striking out at a 28.1 percent clip, which could make him prone to some slumps during his rookie year, but it's not all that concerning given his overall body of work.
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Matt McLain 2B | CIN
Reds' Matt McLain: Smacks homer Wednesday
McLain went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during the Reds' 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.
McClain cut the Reds' deficit to 4-2 when he smacked a solo homer off Colin Rea in the fifth inning. The long ball broke McClain's six-game hitless streak (during which he went 0-for-17 with four strikeouts), and his home run Wednesday was his third of the season.
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Corey Seager SS | TEX
Rangers' Corey Seager: Drills seventh homer
Seager went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Yankees.
The 32-year-old shortstop ended a 10-game dry spell without a homer Wednesday. Seager isn't hitting for much average in the early going, but he's getting on base at a healthy clip while supplying a decent amount of power. Through 153 plate appearances this season, he's slashing .214/.314/.420 with seven long balls, six doubles, 19 RBI and 19 walks.
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Elly De La Cruz SS | CIN
Reds' Elly De La Cruz: Logs three RBI with zero hits
De La Cruz went 0-for-4 with three RBI during the Reds' 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.
The shortstop put the Reds on the board early when his groundout in the first inning brought TJ Friedl home. De La Cruz also played a key role in the Reds' ninth-inning rally, when his flyball to deep-right field was barely caught by Seiya Suzuki, but it was enough for the rare sacrifice fly to bring two runners home to give Cincinnati a 6-4 lead. It was the fourth time this season that De La Cruz logged at least three RBI in a game, and his 29 RBI is tied for ninth most in the majors this season.
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Brice Matthews CF | HOU
Astros' Brice Matthews: Swats fourth homer
Matthews went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 12-2 loss to the Dodgers.
The 24-year-old led off the bottom of the first inning by ripping a Tyler Glasnow (back) sinker into the Crawford Boxes in left field, but it was the only lead the Astros would hold on the afternoon. Matthews is up to four homers on the season, and three of them have come in the last nine games -- a stretch in which he's batting .323 (10-for-31) with five runs and eight RBI as he begins to establish himself as an everyday player for Houston.
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Jose Fernandez DH | ARI
Diamondbacks' Jose Fernandez: Losing starts to Del Castillo
Fernandez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.
Fernandez will be on the bench for the second day in a row, with both of his absences coming against right-handed pitchers. Though Fernandez maintains a .775 OPS on the season compared to Adrian Del Castillo's .657 mark, the latter's standing as a left-handed batter could afford him most of the playing time at designated hitter. Arizona previously had regular at-bats against right-handed pitching available for both players between DH and catcher, but Gabriel Moreno's recent return from the injured list will limit Del Castillo's opportunities to pick up starts behind the dish moving forward.
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Blaze Alexander 3B | BAL
Orioles' Blaze Alexander: Sitting after six straight starts
Alexander is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.
Following a stretch of six consecutive starts at four different positions, Alexander will head to the bench. Despite going 7-for-19 at the dish to begin May, Alexander is still slashing just .222/.276/.247 on the season. Alexander's defensive versatility could allow him to continue seeing semi-regular playing time, but he's not doing much yet to warrant fantasy attention outside of AL-only leagues.
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Wenceel Perez RF | DET
Tigers' Wenceel Perez: Dropping out of lineup Wednesday
Perez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.
Perez will ride the pine for the final game of the Tigers' homestand after he started in each of the previous five contests and went 4-for-18 with a walk, three stolen bases, three RBI and a run. With Perez taking a seat, Detroit will make room in the starting nine at designated hitter for the newly recalled Jace Jung, while Riley Greene, Matt Vierling and Kerry Carpenter fill out the outfield from left to right.