MLB Player News

France went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, four RBI, a run scored, a stolen base and a walk in Monday's win over the Cubs.

France led the Padres' offense, ripping a two-RBI double in the first inning before adding a two-RBI triple in the seventh. The 31-year-old hasn't been a regular in the lineup but has been effective when called upon in 2026, slashing .297/.350/.649 with three homers, two doubles, a triple, seven RBI, seven runs and a stolen base across 40 plate appearances. His continued production should lead to increased playing time, especially if Manny Machado, who exited Monday's contest early with an undisclosed injury, is forced to miss time.

The Marlins activated Morel (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Morel is finally ready to make his Marlins debut after going down with a left oblique strain in late March. He participated in four rehab contests with Triple-A Jacksonville, going 3-for-14 with a 2:5 BB:K. Morel was slated to be Miami's primary first baseman before getting hurt, but it's unclear if he'll have as clear of a path to an everyday role now that he's healthy again. He'll face competition for reps at the position from Connor Norby, who will start at first base in Monday's series opener against the Dodgers while Morel is relegated to the bench.

The Mets claimed Wagaman off waivers from the Twins on Monday.

Wagaman had been designated for assignment by the Twins last week after hitting only .159/.284/.254 early on at Triple-A St. Paul. The 28-year-old has been assigned to Triple-A Syracuse, where he will give the Mets right-handed hitting depth in the corner infield and outfield spots.

Lowe went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during the Reds' 8-3 loss to the Tigers on Sunday.

Lowe put the Reds on the board in the second inning with a solo long shot of Keider Montero. Lowe is up to four home runs on the season, all of which have come over his last three outings. He is slashing .256/.333/.605 with 10 RBI and six runs scored across 48 plate appearances this season.

The Diamondbacks selected Valdez's contract from Double-A Amarillo and appointed him the 27th man for Sunday's game against the Padres.

The two clubs get a 27th man for the Mexico City Series this weekend, which will allow Valdez to get his first taste of the big leagues. The 28-year-old had an .853 OPS in 23 games with Amarillo last year but struggled to a .634 OPS when up with Triple-A Reno.

Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

It's the second straight contest on the bench for Smith, who saw a nine-game hit streak end Saturday when he struck out as a pinch hitter. The 30-year-old batted .364 (12-for-33) with two doubles, two homers and nine RBI during that stretch. Each of his past two absences have come versus right-handed starting pitchers as Atlanta prioritizes keeping Michael Harris' bat in the lineup at DH while he deals with a minor quad strain. The pending return of Sean Murphy (hip) from the IL presents a bigger obstacle to Smith's playing time in the long run.

The Reds optioned Higgins to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

The 32-year-old has been up in the big leagues the past few weeks, but he'll return to Triple-A with Jose Trevino (back) coming off the IL on Sunday. Higgins played six games and went 2-for-10 with one walk and one RBI.

Lowe served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 9-2 win over the Tigers.

Lowe followed Sal Stewart's three-run homer in the first inning with a solo shot. It was the second consecutive game in which Lowe had gone deep. He should see the bulk of his at-bats at DH against right-handers while Eugenio Suarez (oblique) is on the 10-day injured list.

Stewart went 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk and five total RBI in a 9-2 victory versus the Tigers on Saturday.

Stewart didn't wait long to make a big impact, mashing a three-run homer off Jack Flaherty in the first inning. The budding star added a two-run single in the sixth to give him five total RBI -- his second-highest mark of the season. Stewart has been one of MLB's (and fantasy's) brightest stars so far this season, slashing .303/.398/.626 through 118 plate appearances. He leads the majors with 29 RBI, is tied for fourth with nine long balls and is tied for ninth with seven stolen bases (on as many attempts) while exhibiting excellent plate discipline with a 17:21 BB:K.

France went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

France got the Padres on the board with a solo shot in the fifth inning before adding another in the ninth. It marked his second multi-hit effort of the season and his first two-homer game since 2023. On the year, the 31-year-old is slashing .265/.306/.559 with four extra-base hits, three RBI and six runs scored across just 36 plate appearances.