MLB Player News
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Christian Walker 1B | HOU
Astros' Christian Walker: Trio of hits in win
Walker went 3-for-4 with one RBI in Tuesday's victory over Colorado.
Walker tallied his fourth three-hit game of the season. A high-profile offseason addition, the first baseman has struggled to find his footing in his first year with Houston, slashing .220/.283/.362 with 23 extra-base hits and 38 RBI across 82 games. While he made solid contact Tuesday, Walker has yet to come close to matching the power he displayed during his eight seasons in Arizona, where he posted a .464 slugging percentage.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Plays hero in three-RBI night
Guerrero went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Monday's win over the Yankees.
After getting the Blue Jays on the board in the fifth inning with an RBI groundout, Guerrero capped a four-run sixth with an absolute rocket past Jazz Chisholm at third base to bring home two more, a ball that left his bat with an exit velocity of 115.7 mph. Guerrero puts a very productive June in the books having slashed .290/.383/.516 with nine doubles, four homers, three steals, 18 runs and 18 RBI in 25 games.
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Jake Burger 3B | TEX
Rangers' Jake Burger: Expected back this weekend
Burger (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday and is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to the Rangers' road trip that begins Friday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Burger has been shelved since June 21 with a left oblique strain, but he's been cleared for rehab games and will require a brief minor-league assignment before being activated. The 29-year-old should see regular starts upon his return, likely bouncing between first base and designated hitter.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Yankees' Paul Goldschmidt: Sitting vs. right-hander Monday
Goldschmidt is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.
Ben Rice will get the nod at first base Monday while the Blue Jays send right-hander Max Scherzer to the hill. The Yankees aren't treating Goldschmidt as a pure platoon player, but his opportunities to play against right-handed pitching have been scaled back considerably following Giancarlo Stanton's return from the 60-day injured list June 16. Since that date, the Yankees have faced 11 right-handed starting pitchers, and Goldschmidt has been included in the lineup for six of those matchups. Both Goldschmidt (.273 wOBA) and Stanton (.299 wOBA) could be in danger of fading into part-time roles if the Yankees commit to open up steadier playing time for Rice (.379 wOBA) and Jasson Dominguez (.345 wOBA), both of whom have been far more effective against righties this season.
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Romy Gonzalez 2B | BOS
Red Sox's Romy Gonzalez: Retreating to bench
Gonzalez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.
Gonzalez had been included in the lineup in the four of the Red Sox's last five games, but three of those starts came against left-handed pitching. The 28-year-old looks to be stuck in the short side of a platoon at first base with Abraham Toro for the time being, though Gonzalez could get more looks at second base versus right-handed pitching if David Hamilton (.506 OPS in 116 plate appearances) continues to languish.
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Nick Sogard SS | BOS
Red Sox's Nick Sogard: Heading back to Triple-A
The Red Sox optioned Sogard to Triple-A Worcester on Monday.
After being called up from Triple-A on Friday, Sogard picked up one start at third base and two at the keystone while going a collective 3-for-10 with two doubles, one walk, two runs and one RBI in the Red Sox's three-game series versus Toronto. Despite his ample usage over the weekend, Sogard will end up moving back to the minors while the Red Sox clear a spot on the 26-man roster for Marcelo Mayer (personal), who was reinstated from the bereavement list.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Clears Green Monster in win
Guerrero went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Red Sox.
The first baseman went back-to-back with Addison Barger in the first inning to stake the Blue Jays to a 2-0 lead, with Guerrero's blast soaring over the Green Monster and nearly leaving Fenway Park completely. It's the 12th long ball of the season for Guerrero and his fourth in the last 12 games, a stretch in which he's slashing .317/.440/.683 with 10 RBI and 11 runs.
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Donovan Solano 1B | TEX
Mariners' Donovan Solano: Heading to bench Sunday
Solano is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers.
Solano had started four of the last five games, all against right-handers, but he'll head to the bench against Jack Leiter. Though the Mariners have mostly used Solano on the short side of a platoon at first base this season, he's been getting more opportunities lately while slashing a robust .419/.457/.651 over his last 13 contests. Once his bat inevitably cools down, Solano's playing time will taper off, but he could poach starts from a slumping Jorge Polanco (.503 OPS since the beginning of May).
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Abraham Toro 1B | BOS
Red Sox's Abraham Toro: Taking seat Sunday
Toro is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Toro started the first two games of the series and will take a seat Sunday after going 2-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base, two RBI and two runs in Saturday's contest. The 28-year-old was slumping at the plate prior to that performance with a .174/.224/.261 slash line in his previous 14 games. Romy Gonzalez is stepping in at first base.