MLB Player News

Santana went 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run homers and a walk against the Reds on Thursday.

That's as many homers as Santana hit in his last 22 games combined, so it's nice to see the three-time 20-homer man find his power stroke again. Santana's one of the most bizarre hitters in the majors -- he's a switch hitter with the reputation of a borderline star who he strikes out very little while walking plentifully, yet he's also a dead-pull hitter from both sides of the dish who's been an utter disaster against lefties (.167 with no homers). His lack of speed makes it easy for teams to run extreme shifts against him, resulting in a very low BABIP (.229 now) that's not in for as much positive regression as it may seem on the surface. But hey, at least owners in leagues that count walks or OBP are getting their money's worth.

Abreu went 2-for-4 with two RBI against the Astros on Wednesday.

He's now hit safely in seven consecutive games, the second time this season he's put up a streak of at least that length. Abreu's slowly but surely pulling his stats up out of their early-season gutter -- after all, he was hitting .176 with a .592 OPS and now has those numbers up to .253 and .746, which represents real progress. We're still waiting for him to show off that explosive power, though -- that's been the missing part of his game this year, as he has only six homers and a .418 slugging percentage to his credit.

Santana is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Indians are without the luxury of the DH in an NL park, and manager Terry Francona has decided to go with Mike Napoli over Santana at first base against lefty Brandon Finnegan. Santana is batting .218 so far in May (12-for-55) and the switch-hitter has struggled in a major way against lefties so far this season (.431 OPS).

Santana went 2-for-4 with two walks, two RBI and two runs scored during Tuesday's 13-1 win over the Reds.

Santana's patient eye at the plate has netted him a .342 on-base percentage to date this season, making him a solid leadoff batter for the Tribe despite his lack of speed. Unfortunately for those in standard 5x5 leagues, Santana's batting average remains a sinkhole, and that's unlikely to dramatically change over the course of the season. Still, he's a solid roster option in the corner infield given the respectable pop in his bat along with the high run-scoring potential he has at the top of the order.

Walker has handled his transition from first base to the outfield well, MASN Sports reports.

The move to the outfield could pay off in the long run, as left field remains a position of weakness for the Orioles. Joey Rickard is handling things for now, but it remains to be seen if he's the permanent answer. Walker hit .300/.357/.500 in April, but is sporting just a .180/.254/.410 line in May. He does have seven home runs, though, and that power could play in the majors.

Cron is not in Monday's lineup againstface the Dodgers, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Interleague play means that Cron will shift to the dugout while Albert Pujols takes over at first base instead of serving as the team's designated hitter. Unless Pujols gets a day off, it's possible Cron will remain a reserve option over the entire four-game series.

Calhoun went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and three runs Saturday at the Mariners.

Calhoun's third homer of the year was part of a five-run seventh inning in a game the Angels would go on to win. He's now hit safely in 10 of 12 games this month to improve his slash line to .305/.376/.435.

McBride is in the lineup Saturday, batting ninth and starting at catcher.

The A's will rest Stephen Vogt's legs Saturday by moving him to DH and putting the recently recalled McBride behind the plate. McBride has defensive versatility, as he can play first base, outfield, or catcher, but he lacks upside at the plate. In 63 Triple-A at-bats this season, McBride managed a paltry .175/.246/.286 slash line with 16 strikeouts.

McBride was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Friday.

McBride has not been impressive at the plate in the minor leagues, but with Mark Canha recently placed on the disabled list, the A's thought that McBride's ability to play outfield, first base, and catcher was valuable enough to warrant a callup. It'll be tough for him to make an impact given his struggles at the plate, though. To make room for him on the roster, right-hander Zach Neal was optioned to Triple-A.

Cron went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk against the Cardinals on Wednesday.

He provided the only damage the Angels were able to do against Jaime Garcia, and although Cron's season stats remain less than pretty -- .263/.349/.368 won't get many fantasy owners feeling hot and heavy -- daily-league players should pay attention to what he's been doing when the Angels have put him in the lineup lately. Over his last 18 games (15 starts), Cron has gone 21-for-55 (.382) with a couple homers and 10 RBI. His excellent contact skill and above-average pop make him an underrated fantasy asset.