MLB Player News

Santana went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run Wednesday in the Indians' 10-4 win over the Astros.

Houston entered the bottom of the fifth inning with a 4-3 lead, but Santana vaulted the Indians ahead with his 23rd long ball of the season. After an 11-game stretch where he batted .190 with only four extra-base knocks, Santana is starting to wriggle out of the slump, as he's homered twice in the past three contests.

The Rays optioned Lowe to Triple-A Durham on Thursday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe looked like he might be able to stick with the big club for the remainder of the season after being named American League Player of the Week following a handful of big games coming out of the All-Star break, but the Rays' acquisition of Jesus Aguilar on Wednesday left the rookie without a spot. Since both Lowe and Ji-Man Choi are somewhat redundant as lefty-hitting, first basemen/designated hitters, Lowe was the odd man out since he still has minor-league options remaining. Lowe will get the chance to play every day at Durham but should be among the top candidates for a promotion back to Tampa Bay in the event the Rays lose another regular player to injury.

Cooper (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Cooper is still tending to a tight left hamstring, which he suffered while running to first base during an at-bat in Tuesday's 2-1 loss. The Marlins are hopeful that two days out of the lineup plus a team off day Friday will be enough for Cooper to return to action during the two-game set in Tampa Bay over the weekend. Neil Walker will man first base and bat cleanup in the series finale with the Twins.

Cabrera was designated for assignment by the Rangers after Wednesday's win over the Mariners, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Cabrera was absent from Wednesday's starting nine and will likely finish his 2019 season in Texas with a .711 OPS and career-high 23.1 percent strikeout rate in 93 games. The veteran infielder started 90 contests at third base for the Rangers this season, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa will be recalled to fill his starting role. Cabrera seems unlikely to accept an assignment to Triple-A and could simply be released.

Dixon went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and four total RBI in Wednesday's 9-1 win over the Angels.

Dixon hit his 14th home run of the season in the eighth inning with a runner on, part of a five-run frame for the Tigers. The 27-year-old has been a pleasant surprise with a .767 OPS this season after posting a lowly .574 mark in 74 games last year.

Smith was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot and will remain in a walking boot for a few weeks, Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports reports.

Smith underwent a CT scan earlier in the week which apparently did not yield positive results. He'll be withheld from baseball activities for at least the next few weeks as a result, suggesting he won't be ready to return until the end of August, at the earliest. J.D. Davis should continue to see time in left field while Smith is on the shelf.

Cabrera is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Cabrera is hitless over his last two games, following a stretch in which he posted a .966 OPS over 10 contests. Logan Forsythe starts at the hot corner in his absence.

Cooper (hamstring) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Twins, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

Cooper left Tuesday's game with hamstring tightness and still isn't 100 percent. As such, he'll hit the bench Wednesday as Neil Walker starts at first base in his stead.

Flores will start at second base and bat second Wednesday against the Yankees.

Flores drew starts the past two days when the Diamondbacks opposed left-handed pitchers Caleb Smith and J.A. Happ, and now he'll stick in the lineup for a third straight game with right-hander Masahiro Tanaka on the bump for New York. His inclusion in the starting nine shouldn't be taken as an indication that Flores has captured a full-time role, as he's likely just starting Wednesday so Ketel Marte can get a breather. Flores still appears to be a short-side platoon player for Arizona.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Cubs on Tuesday.

Goldschmidt more or less defied odds during the first half of the season, generating a career-best hard-contact rate and yet setting a pace that would have left him with the fewest extra-base hits of his career outside of his initial 48-game stint in the majors back in 2011. Statistical outliers such as those have a way of correcting themselves over time, and Goldschmidt's performance since the All-Star break serves as a shining example of such. The slugger now has seven home runs in his last eight games, and he's hit nine overall thus far in the second half of the season. Goldschmidt's .472 slugging percentage is still well below his career .526 figure, but it's already seen a 46-point boost since the All-Star break.