MLB Player News

Casas (ankle) began a hitting and fielding progression Monday, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports.

Casas has been out with an ankle injury since mid-May. The length of his absence means he's likely to be brought along slowly, and he still doesn't have a clear timetable, but it's still encouraging to see him trending in the right direction.

Santana isn't starting Monday's game against Baltimore.

Although Santana was traded from the Royals to the Mariners on Monday, Dylan Moore is starting at first base while Justin Upton serves as the designated hitter during the series opener against the Orioles. It's not yet clear whether Santana will be available to make his team debut off the bench.

Pasquantino, who was just called up by the Royals on Monday, won't be in the lineup right away, as it will be Hunter Dozier who starts at first base against the Rangers.

The Royals presumably didn't call Pasquantino up to keep him on the bench, so he should see his name in the starting lineup soon. The fact that he'll be on the bench here against lefty Martin Perez does raise the possibility that he's merely viewed as a platoon bat for now, though even if that's the case, the Royals don't line up to face a lefty for quite some time, so he should start regularly going forward. Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, fears of a platoon are probably unfounded, as Pasquantino's absence from the lineup has more to do with his late arrival at the stadium after a busy day than the handedness of the opposing pitcher. He's expected to be in the lineup against both righties and lefties on a regular basis.

Pasquantino's contract was selected by the Royals on Monday.

Pasquantino has been crushing the ball for Triple-A Omaha as he waited for his first big-league opportunity, hitting .280/.372/.576 with 18 homers in 69 games while walking more than he struck out. Scouts peg his contact ability as his carrying tool, and his 12.2 percent strikeout rate this season backs that up, but he should have a fair amount of power as well. The Royals shipped Carlos Santana to the Mariners on Monday, so there should be a full-time role available for Pasquantino the rest of the way as long as he hits well enough to keep it.

The Mariners acquired Santana and cash considerations from the Royals on Monday in exchange for right-handed pitchers Wyatt Mills and William Fleming.

Santana had produced a below-average batting line in both 2020 and 2021 and looked to be set for his third straight subpar season this year, but a .357/.478/.554 run thus far in June has dragged his wRC+ up to 104. That's still a pretty uninspiring mark for a first baseman, but he should have a path to at least short-term playing time with Ty France out with a flexor strain. He could still start frequently as a designated hitter once France returns, but he's unlikely to be a particularly interesting fantasy option. The Royals called up top prospect Vinnie Pasquantino to take Santana's place on the roster and step in as Kansas City's everyday first baseman.

Guerrero went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in Sunday's loss to the Brewers.

The 23-year-old appears to have found his form after what, by his standards, was a sluggish start to the season. Guerrero has reached base safely in 15 of his last 16 games, slashing .349/.446/.603 over that stretch with four doubles, four homers, 12 RBI and 14 runs.

Santana went 2-for-3 with a double and a two-RBI single in Sunday's loss to the Athletics.

Santana came to the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and though he was unable to clear the bases, he sent Andrew Benintendi and Nicky Lopez home to tie the game at two. The first baseman is on a three-game hit streak and has eight total hits in his last five games. Santana has raised his batting average from .191 to .216 during that span.

Padlo started at first base and went 1-for-4 with a go-ahead two-run single in a win over the Angels on Saturday.

Padlo notably drew the start at first base in the second game of what is projected to likely be a multi-week absence for Ty France (forearm) and delivered a clutch knock in the sixth inning to snap a 2-2 tie. Padlo hadn't drawn a start in any of his three appearances since his promotion from Triple-A Tacoma on Monday, but he could work himself into fairly steady playing time at first base while France is on the shelf.

Kirilloff went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI in Saturday's 6-0 win over the Rockies.

The three RBI were a season-high total for Kirilloff, who is slashing .222/.214/.370 in eight games since receiving a call-up from Triple-A St. Paul on June 17. He'll start at first base and bat fifth in Sunday's series finale, and Kirilloff should be a fixture in the Minnesota lineup while Luis Arraez continues to play regularly at second base in placed of the injured Jorge Polanco (back).

Tampa Bay optioned Aranda to Triple-A Durham on Sunday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The 24-year-old's first stint in the big leagues lasted only five days, and Aranda appeared in two games over that stretch, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Though Aranda doesn't have much left to prove in the minors, the Rays want him to play on an everyday basis, and that opportunity won't be afforded to him in Tampa Bay after shortstop Wander Franco (quadriceps) was cleared to return from the 10-day injured list Sunday.