MLB Player News
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Mookie Betts RF | LAD
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: Begins fielding grounders
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Betts (hand) has started to field softly hit groundballs, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Though Betts hasn't yet been cleared for full baseball activities, taking part in fielding work is an indication that he hasn't experienced any setbacks in his recovery from a fractured left hand. The All-Star was given an estimated 6-to-8-week timeline for a return after sustaining the injury in mid-June, and though he still has a ways to go in his rehab, Betts could be ready to come off the 10-day injured list in early August. Betts has seen the majority of his starts at shortstop this season, though the Dodgers could look to deploy him mainly at second base upon his return. Miguel Rojas has excelled as Betts' primary replacement at shortstop and could be deserving of a full-time role upon Betts' return, while second baseman Gavin Lux entered Sunday's game against the Tigers sporting a lowly .565 OPS on the season.
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Carlos Correa SS | HOU
Twins' Carlos Correa: Contending with plantar fasciitis
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said prior to Sunday's game against the Giants that a recent MRI revealed that Correa (heel) is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Correa is out of the lineup for a second straight game Sunday due to the injury, which had previously been classified as a bruised right heel. The updated diagnosis is somewhat worrisome considering that Correa contended with plantar fasciitis for a significant portion of the 2023 season, though that injury was to his left foot. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Correa's latest case of plantar fasciitis isn't believed to be as severe as the one he dealt with in 2023, but the issue nonetheless makes it far from a lock that the veteran shortstop will be ready to go for the Twins' first game out of the All-Star break next Saturday versus the Brewers. Correa was named to his third All-Star Game and will still be in attendance for the Midsummer Classic in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, but Hefland relays that his availability for the exhibition is up in the air at the moment due to the injury.
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Carlos Correa SS | HOU
Twins' Carlos Correa: Remains on bench Sunday
Correa (heel) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Correa's bruised right heel doesn't look to be a major concern, but he'll be on the bench for the second straight game and will get an extended rest over the All-Star break before the Twins return to action next Saturday versus the Brewers. Willi Castro will fill in for Correa at shortstop in Sunday's series finale in San Francisco.
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Diego Castillo 3B | MIN
Twins' Diego Castillo: Summoned from Triple-A
The Twins selected Castillo's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday. He'll start at third base and bat seventh in the Twins' series finale in San Francisco.
Castillo joined the Twins' 26-man active roster as replacement for infielder Jose Miranda, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a low back strain. Over his 283 plate appearances with St. Paul this season, Castillo slashed a respectable .269/.375/.399 with five home runs and seven stolen bases while seeing action at all four infield spots as well as in right field. He'll likely see most of his starts against left-handed pitchers like the Giants' Blake Snell while he's up with the big club.
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Miles Mastrobuoni 3B | SEA
Cubs' Miles Mastrobuoni: Getting fifth straight start
Mastrobuoni will start at third base and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Since heading to the bench for Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Orioles, the lefty-hitting Mastrobuoni has re-emerged as a regular part of the Cubs' lineup against right-handed pitching. Mastrobuoni will close the first half of the season with his fifth consecutive start, with his uptick in playing time coinciding with Cody Bellinger's (finger) placement on the injured list Thursday. Mastrobuoni has gone 4-for-13 with an RBI and two runs over his prior four starts.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Could avoid IL stint
Baez (back) is not currently slated to be placed on the injured list, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Baez isn't starting Sunday against the Dodgers after being removed early from Saturday's contest due to a lower-back injury. He's available only in an emergency situation Sunday, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. However, manager A.J. Hinch described Baez's outlook as "encouraging" and said that the veteran infielder is in better spirits, and it appears that he may be good to go when play resumes Friday following the All-Star break.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Out of lineup Sunday
Baez (back) isn't in Sunday's starling lineup versus the Dodgers, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Baez was lifted early from Saturday's extra-inning win due to a lower-back injury, and he won't start Sunday's final game before the All-Star break. In his place, Zach McKinstry is starting at shortstop and batting seventh. If Baez doesn't enter off the bench Sunday, he'll have until Detroit's next game -- July 19 in Toronto -- to recover.
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Ezequiel Tovar SS | COL
Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar: Breaking out of slump
Tovar went 2-for-4 with a double Saturday against the Mets.
Tovar began July with seven consecutive hitless starts, though he now has a five-game hitting streak. His production has been largely empty, as across his last five games he has gone 8-for-21 with three extra-base hits, one RBI and two runs scored. Even with the slower production of late, Tovar has had a solid season, showing improvement in his OPS, ISO and batting average relative to 2023.
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Masyn Winn SS | STL
Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Leads charge in twin bill
Winn went 4-for-9 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Cubs.
Hitting leadoff in both contests, Winn banged out two hits in each and wrapped his day with a solo shot off Javier Assad on the third pitch he saw in the nightcap. Winn is having a strong start to July, slashing .300/.364/.400 through 12 games with two doubles, a homer, a steal, five RBI and 10 runs.
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Francisco Lindor SS | NYM
Mets' Francisco Lindor: Clubs clutch homer
Lindor went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run, a stolen base and two walks Saturday in a 7-3 win against Colorado.
New York was hanging onto a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning when Lindor slugged a 420-foot, three-run home run to center field. The long ball was his fourth through 13 games in June and his 17th overall this season. Lindor also swiped his 18th bag of the campaign in the contest, and he's one of seven major leaguers with at least 15 homers and 15 thefts so far in 2024.