MLB Player News
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Michael Busch 3B | CHC
Cubs' Michael Busch: Getting day off
Busch is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.
Busch went 3-for-17 with a pair of home runs while starting in each of the Cubs' last four games, but as per usual, he'll take a seat with a lefty (Jesus Luzardo) starting for the opposition. Justin Turner will spell Busch at first base.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B | CIN
Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Starts at third base
Encarnacion-Strand started at third base and went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 1-0 win over Cleveland.
This was the first time in five games that Encarnacion-Strand failed to reach base safely since coming off the IL; he'd gone 8-for-17 with a double, three home runs and seven RBI over the first four contests. This marked the third time in those five games that he's started at third base. Reds manager Terry Francona needs to find time for both Encarnacion-Strand and Spencer Steer, and it appears Santiago Espinal's regular run at third base has ended.
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Michael Busch 3B | CHC
Cubs' Michael Busch: Swats solo blast
Busch went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Phillies.
Busch took Mick Abel deep to center in the fourth to push the Cubs in front 3-2. Busch now has four homers in nine games during June and has at least a hit in 11 of his last 12 games, slashing .325/.400/.725 over that span. Despite being hot at the plate, Busch has not received many plate appearances versus left-handed pitching and may find himself on the bench the next two days with the Cubs set to face Jesus Luzardo and Andrew Heaney.
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Casey Schmitt SS | SF
Giants' Casey Schmitt: Ignites rally with homer
Schmitt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the Rockies.
Schmitt's solo homer in the top of the ninth ignited a four-run rally that propelled the Giants to a comeback win Tuesday. The infielder had struggled immensely over his previous 10 games, slashing .136/.269/.136 with no extra-base hits or RBI. On the year, Schmitt is batting .204/.295/.315 with four extra-base hits and four RBI in 62 plate appearances.
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Luis Arraez 2B | SF
Padres' Luis Arraez: Two doubles in three-hit game
Arraez went 3-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and four runs scored in Tuesday's 11-1 win over the Dodgers.
Arraez hasn't found any over-the-fence power in June, but he's gone 11-for-42 (.262) with five doubles across 10 games this month. He did his part to get on base frequently Tuesday, and Manny Machado benefited, knocking in Arraez three times in a five-RBI effort. Arraez is at a .281/.314/.405 slash line with three home runs, 15 doubles, three triples, 25 RBI, 31 runs scored and three stolen bases over 60 games this season. He continues to switch between first base and designated hitter, sharing both positions with Gavin Sheets.
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Nate Lowe 1B | CIN
Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe: Goes yard Tuesday
Lowe went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run during Tuesday's extra-inning loss to the Mets.
Lowe extended his hit streak to four games and snapped a 19-game homerless drought when he clubbed a first-inning homer off Griffin Canning. The long ball was Lowe's ninth of the year, and he's slashing .230/.293/.381 with 41 RBI and 22 runs scored over 276 plate appearances.
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Andres Chaparro 1B | WAS
Nationals' Andres Chaparro: Recalled from Triple-A
The Nationals recalled Chaparro from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.
Chaparro was sidelined for the first two months of the season with a strained oblique, but he's earned a promotion after batting .304 with five home runs in 15 games with Rochester. The 26-year-old could see regular playing time against left-handed pitching.
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Matt Olson 1B | ATL
Braves' Matt Olson: Belts 14th homer
Olson went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and two walks in a 7-1 win against Milwaukee on Monday.
Olson broke a 1-1 tie and put Atlanta up for good with a two-run blast to center field in the fifth inning. The veteran first baseman has knocked in eight runs over his past five contests despite going a modest 4-for-16 at the plate during that span. Olson has also walked six times during the five-game stretch, and all four of the hits (two doubles and two homers) have gone for extra bases. He's up to 14 home runs, 39 RBI and an .817 OPS on the campaign.
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Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Diamondbacks' Josh Naylor: Goes grand for walk-off
Naylor went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, an RBI double, a walk and two total runs scored in Monday's 8-4 extra-innings win over the Mariners.
Naylor entered Monday in a 2-for-21 skid to begin June. The first baseman broke out in a big way, which included his first two extra-base hits of the month, the latter of which was a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning. Naylor is up to a .290/.346/.457 slash line with eight homers, 44 RBI, 32 runs scored, 15 doubles, one triple and nine stolen bases over 64 contests this season.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Three-hit effort in win
Freeman went 3-fo-5 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 8-7 extra-inning win over the Padres.
Freeman had been in a bit of a rut prior to Monday, going just 1-for-16 with two walks and six strikeouts over his last five games. He broke out of the slump with his third multi-hit effort of June. The first baseman has been one of the hottest hitters in the majors since late April, so a brief slump is nothing to be worried about. He's posted a .351/.418/.591 slash line with nine home runs, 41 RBI, 36 runs scored, 21 doubles, one triple and no stolen bases through 56 games.