MLB Player News

France went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 5-3 victory over Oakland.

France was unsuccessful in his first three at-bats before evening the score at 3-3 with his clutch homer off Oakland closer Lou Trivino to leadoff the ninth. The long ball was the infielder's fourth in his last five games, a 10-for-21 stretch that includes a double, seven runs and RBI apiece and the four longballs.

Gurriel went 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and walk in a 7-1 loss to the Royals on Monday.

Gurriel accounted for one-third of Houston's baserunners Monday, singling in the first, doubling home its lone run in the third, walking in the fifth and singling in the seventh. Following a cold stretch earlier this month, Gurriel is 9-for-17 with a .579 OBP over his last four games.

Santana left Monday's game against the Astros with a Grade 1 hip flexor strain, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Santana is being considered day-to-day by the club, per manager Mike Matheny. Ryan O'Hearn would see time at first base if Santana is forced to miss significant time.

Diaz entered Sunday's win over the White Sox on Sunday as a replacement for Ji-Man Choi (hamstring) and went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Diaz reached safely multiple times for the second straight game, pushing his on-base percentage to an elite .361 in the process. The burly infielder is in the midst of a solid stretch of hitting, as he owns a .278/.333/.500 slash line with three doubles, three home runs and six RBI over his last 15 games.

Voit will sit for Monday's game in Atlanta.

Voit has been on an incredible tear over his last seven games, hitting .500 with three homers and 13 RBI. The Yankees had been finding room for both him and Anthony Rizzo in the lineup recently, with Voit moving to designated hitter in two of the team's last three games, pushing Giancarlo Stanton to the outfield, but that won't be an option under National League rules. The Yankees are set to face righties (Huascar Ynoa and Charlie Morton) in both games of the two-game series, so it could be the left-handed Rizzo in the lineup on both occasions.

Santana went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 9-1 win over the Cubs.

The first baseman has recorded just two multi-hit efforts in 20 games in August, and he's drawn just eight walks in that span for a .274 on-base percentage. It's clear Santana is in a slump, which has lowered his season slash line to .226/.335/.373 with 17 home runs (none since July 24), 59 RBI, 59 runs scored and two stolen bases. Despite the slump, he's been in the starting nine on a nearly daily basis, as Ryan O'Hearn hasn't done enough to challenge for more playing time at first base.

France went 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBI in Sunday's 6-3 win over Houston.

France saved his two hits for when Seattle needed them most; he knocked a game-tying, solo shot off Ryan Pressly in the ninth inning and later hit an RBI single before scoring again in the 11th. Over his last four games, the 27-year-old utilityman has gone 9-for-17 (.529) with three homers and six RBI. France is slashing .292/.362/.462 with 42 extra-base hits through 486 plate appearances.

O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

The lefty-hitting O'Hearn will be squeezed out of the lineup against a right-hander (Alec Mills), mostly as a result of no designated hitter being available in Chicago. Hunter Dozier will pick up a start in right field, the position O'Hearn manned in the first two games of the series.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox.

He'll head to the bench for the third time in five games and appears to be stuck in a short-side platoon role in the infield. After going 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Saturday's 8-4 win, Diaz is slashing .244/.292/.488 in 24 games since the All-Star break.

Mountcastle went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's loss to Atlanta.

Mountcastle gave Baltimore an early lead with a first-inning solo shot to center field. The homer was his 21st of the season and accounted for his 65th RBI. It also extended Mountcastle's hitting streak to 13 games, during which he is batting .396 (19-for-48) with five homers and 10 RBI.