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Matt McLain 2B | CIN
Reds' Matt McLain: Halts hitless skid
McLain batted leadoff and went 2-for-5 in Friday's 5-3 win over Texas.
McLain, who moved from second in the order to leadoff with TJ Friedl getting a day off, snapped an 0-for-13 skid with a third-inning single. McLain had a monster spring training (1.540 OPS, seven HR), which carried into the first few games of the regular season, but the second baseman entered Friday's game batting just .190.
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Elly De La Cruz SS | CIN
Reds' Elly De La Cruz: Homers against lefty
De La Cruz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.
De La Cruz took left-hander MacKenzie Gore deep in the sixth inning to give the Reds a brief lead. It was the switch hitter's third home run of the season and second as a right-handed batter against a lefty. Historically, De La Cruz has been more productive from the left side (.846 OPS) than the right (.616). Of his 63 career home runs, only 15 have come when batting from the right side.
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Riley Greene LF | DET
Tigers' Riley Greene: Productive in win Friday
Greene went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 4-0 win over the Cardinals.
Friday was Greene's second multi-hit effort of the year, and he's now slashing .241/.290/.345 through seven games. He has three doubles but has yet to go deep after recording a career-best 36 home runs during the regular season in 2025. The power should come for Greene, and he's locked into a premium spot in Detroit's lineup, so plenty of RBI should follow as well.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Swipes first bag in win
Baez went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI in Friday's 4-0 win over the Cardinals.
Baez started at shortstop and batted ninth, with red-hot rookie Kevin McGonigle covering third and batting leadoff. McGonigle has certainly hit the ground running in his MLB debut and will play short frequently, so Baez will likely need to settle into more of a utility role. So far, the veteran has only seen time at short and second base, but he remains an option to play at third as well as in the outfield. Baez has yet to really get going in 2026, as he's sporting a .513 OPS with no home runs and the single stolen base through five games.
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Dillon Dingler C | DET
Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Hits second home run
Dingler went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 4-0 win over the Cardinals.
Dingler mashed his second home run of the year in the fourth inning with a runner on, and that gave starter Framber Valdez more than enough run support. The Detroit catcher has put a slow, injury-delayed start to spring training behind him, as he's hit the ground running with a .300/.364/.650 slash line and seven RBI through six games to begin the regular season.
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Merrill Kelly SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Dazzles at Reno
Kelly (back) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out two over five scoreless innings for Triple-A Reno on Friday.
Kelly made his first -- and perhaps only -- rehab start Friday and threw 72 pitches (40 strikes). That puts him in range to be activated next week. If Arizona chooses to bring him back, Kelly's five-day schedule lines him up to pitch next Wednesday against the Yankees in New York.
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Hunter Harvey RP | CHC
Cubs' Hunter Harvey: Takes first loss Friday
Harvey (0-1) allowed three runs on two hits and a walk while retiring just two batters in relief to take the loss Friday against the Guardians.
Both of the hits Harvey allowed left the yard, as he served up a solo home run to Gabriel Arias and a two-run shot to Chase DeLauter in the seventh inning in an eventual 4-1 defeat for the Cubs. The righty reliever had tossed 2.1 scoreless frames across his first two appearances with his new team, but Friday was a step backward. Harvey should be able to rebound, and he's still positioned as a key setup arm in Chicago ahead of closer Daniel Palencia.
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Colin Rea SP | CHC
Cubs' Colin Rea: Works in relief of injured starter
Rea allowed one run on four hits across 3.1 innings of relief in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Guardians. He walked one and struck out four.
Rea entered in the second inning after starter Cade Horton (forearm) departed early. After the game, the Cubs announced that Horton will be headed to the injured list, which will open up a rotation spot at least temporarily. Rea made 27 regular-season starts for Chicago last year and has 103 career starts at the MLB level, so he certainly has the experience to slide in if needed. Ben Brown is also an option to make starts, though the Cubs have not announced their plans for Horton's spot yet.
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Paul Sewald RP | TOR
Diamondbacks' Paul Sewald: Takes loss Friday
Sewald (0-1) was tagged with the loss Friday, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning in a 2-0 loss to Atlanta.
Sewald entered a scoreless game in the top of the ninth inning and ceded back-to-back home runs. It was the first hiccup in four outings for Sewald, who had not allowed a baserunner in his first three appearances.
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Pete Crow-Armstrong CF | CHC
Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong: Steals base in loss
Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Guardians.
With Cleveland starting lefty Joey Cantillo, Crow-Armstrong slid down to eighth in the order, but he still managed to make an impact. The speedy outfielder has stolen three bases through seven games and is batting a respectable .269, but his .629 OPS reflects a lack of power so far. Friday's double was the first extra-base hit of the season for Crow-Armstrong, who is still in search of his first 2026 home run after going deep 31 times during the regular season last year.