MLB Player News

Cron underwent an arthroscopic procedure to address a left thumb impingement Tuesday.

Cron was apparently experiencing some pain at the base of his thumb, although it's unclear how and when the injury presented itself. The first baseman is expected to be cleared for full activity in 6-to-8 weeks, which should keep him from missing any time during spring training.

The Indians are considering Santana as a potential option in left field for the World Series games at Wrigley Field, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.

He worked out at that position Monday, and if the Indians think he can be somewhat competent out there then it would allow their top offensive lineup to be deployed, even without the DH available in National League parks. Look for Santana to play DH or first base in the first two World Series games at home.

The Angels announced that Calhoun will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a bilateral core muscle injury.

The origin of Calhoun's setback is uncertain, as he was not held out of any late-season action -- other than for the birth of his child -- and actually had his best month of the season in September. No matter, he will need 6-to-8 weeks tor recover from Tuesday's procedure. The Angels expect him to resume his "normal offseason training regime" following his recovery period, and barring any setbacks, he is expected to be back at 100 percent when spring training begins next February.

Solano was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.

Solano spent the majority of the season in the minors, but did get a September call-up and saw somewhat regular at-bats down the stretch with injuries to players ahead of him on the depth chart. The 28-year-old has been up and down between the majors and minors over the past two years and has mostly been used as a utility-infield option, so he figures to assume a similar role in 2017.

McBride was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, MLB.com's Jane Lee reports.

The A's are doing some offseason roster management, and will clear a spot on the 40-man roster by outrighting McBride to Triple-A. A 31-year-old utility player with just 202 career plate appearances in the big leagues, McBride will work in a minor organizational depth role in 2017.

Gurriel is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels.

Gurriel has played in every game since Aug. 30 but is not in the lineup for Sunday's season finale. Colin Moran will start at third base and hit eighth while Gurriel heads to the bench.

Calhoun went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in a win over the A's on Wednesday.

Calhoun seemed to hit a wall in July and August, but has really picked up the pace to close out the season, as he is slugging .591 in his last 88 at-bats. The fact that he has yet to reach the 20-homer mark is likely disheartening for owners, but he increased his walk rate by more than three percent from 2015, and should remain a solid mid-round option on 2017 draft boards.

Santana is out of Thursday's lineup against the Tigers, the Akron Beacon Journal's Ryan Lewis reports.

There is a solid chance that Thursday's game will be rained out, but Santana will get the day off either way. If the game does get played, Jesus Aguilar will start at first base and hit seventh while Mike Napoli gets the nod at DH in the cleanup spot.

Calhoun (personal) is starting in right field and hitting second Friday against the Astros.

He missed three games to be with his family after the birth of his child, but appeared as a pinch hitter Thursday, so his return Friday was expected. Calhoun should finish out the season as the Angels' starting right fielder.

Santana went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and an RBI double in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Royals.

Santana's been enjoying the diluted pitching of September baseball, as he's having his best month, posting a .310/.451/.634 line with six homers and 17 RBI over 20 games. That's about as much average as you'll ever see him hit for, as Santana tends to hover in the .250 range (or worse), but he's still been plenty productive for fantasy owners. The 30-year-old has a career-high 34 homers already, and he's just two short of his career-high 85 RBI and one short of his career-high 84 runs.