MLB Player News

Kirilloff went 3-for-3 with a double, two solo home runs and a third run scored in Saturday's 11-1 win over the Cubs.

The 25-year-old got the rout started with a solo shot off Hayden Wesneski in the first inning before tagging the right-hander again in the third. The long balls were the first of the season for Kirilloff, and in seven games since making his 2023 debut he's batting .438 (7-for-16), making the Twins look very smart for being cautious with his return from wrist surgery.

Naylor went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in Saturday's 8-6 victory over the Angels.

Naylor hit a home run for the second straight game, taking right-hander Ryan Tepera deep for a three-run shot that scored Jose Ramirez and Tyler Freeman while giving the Guardians a 7-6 advantage in the eighth. Four of Naylor's five homers and all four of his doubles this season have come against right-handers, while he owns a measly .156/.206/.250 slash line against lefties. Due to his uneven splits, Naylor best serves as a matchup-based streaming option and daily fantasy value for those who want to chase home runs.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Saturday's victory over the Athletics.

Lowe made an immediate impact on the game, driving in Marcus Semien on a first-inning single to extend his hit streak to 12 games. He caught James Kaprielian once again in the fourth inning, smacking a leadoff solo homer to extend the Rangers' lead to 3-0. Despite the lengthy hit streak, Saturday's home run was Lowe's first since April 30. The first basemen has been very productive in 2023, owning the 10th most runs scored in MLB while also being top 25 in RBI.

Casas will be on the bench against southpaw Steven Matz and the Cardinals on Saturday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Casas technically got a start against a lefty on Wednesday, but Dylan Lee was merely an opener for Atlanta on that occasion. Prior to that, Casas had sat against five straight southpaws, and it seems as though his platoon role is still in place. Given that he's hitting .180/.317/.370 overall even while largely being protected from facing same-sided pitching, it's unlikely Casas' role expands any time soon. As usual, Justin Turner will be the first baseman in his absence.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Friday's 6-5 win over the Rays.

The veteran first baseman played hero for the Yankees on his own bobblehead night, taking Tampa Bay opener Trevor Kelley deep for a solo shot in the first inning before launching what proved to be the game-winning, two-run blast in the eighth off Jason Adam. Rizzo has caught fire in May, delivering six multi-hit performances in the last 10 games and batting .375 (15-for-40) with three of his eight homers on the year over that stretch.

Abreu went 1-for-5 in Friday's game against the White Sox.

Abreu returned to Guaranteed Rate Field to face his former team, tallying a two-out single in the seventh inning but otherwise putting together an unremarkable performance. Abreu has one hit in three of his last four games -- including two doubles -- but he still has a disastrous .234 wOBA and 45 wRC+ across 156 plate appearances on the season.

Dalbec was optioned to Triple-A Worcester by Boston on Friday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

It's likely that the corresponding transaction will be Pablo Reyes joining Boston on Saturday after he was acquired by the Red Sox in a trade before Friday's game. Dalbec will head back to Triple-A for now, but he figures to make several more trips between Boston and Worcester before the 2023 season comes to a close.

Naylor went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, a second run scored, two walks and a steal in Friday's loss to the Angels.

Naylor saved his only hit of the game for a big moment, briefly putting Cleveland on top with his solo shot in the eighth. He had gone 7-for-39 (.179) since his last home run April 26. He's now slashing .195/.258/.331 on the year with eight extra-base hits (four doubles, four homers) and three steals through 132 plate appearances this season.

Pasquantino is not in the lineup Friday against the Brewers.

Pasquantino went 7-for-18 (.389) with a homer and two doubles during the Royals' last series versus the White Sox, so this is presumably just a day of rest. Salvador Perez is taking a turn in the designated hitter role while Nick Pratto will cover first base against the Brewers and right-hander Corbin Burnes.

Kirilloff is out of the lineup Friday against the Cubs, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Donovan Solano is playing first base and batting second versus the Cubs and left-hander Drew Smyly. Kirilloff, a left-handed hitter, has yet to start against a southpaw since his return to the Twins' major-league roster earlier this month.