MLB Player News

Freeman went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a double in a victory versus Philadelphia on Thursday.

Freeman slugged a 401-foot homer in the fourth inning, the first of back-to-back blasts with Josh Donaldson. In 346 at-bats this season, Freeman has now hit 23 homers -- the same amount he hit in 618 at-bats last season. Fortunately, the first-half power surge has not come at the expense of his other numbers; on the season, he is slashing an impressive .309/.393/.590.

Guerrero is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Red Sox.

Brandon Drury is being rewarded for his three-hit effort Wednesday with a start at the hot corner. Manager Charlie Montoyo has been getting Guerrero occasional days off as the 20-year-old gets acclimated at the big-league level, and that will likely continue into the second half.

Solano started at short and batted eighth Wednesday, going 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in a 7-5 win over the Padres.

Solano had started the previous four contests due to a slew of southpaws taking the bump against the Giants, but Wednesday's start was a bit surprising considering it came against a righty. The veteran utility infielder has performed adequately when called upon (.308/.337/.397 over 83 plate appearances) and starting shortstop Brandon Crawford has been disappointing at best, but a complete changing of the guard seems unlikely. Manager Bruce Bochy has proven in the past that he rewards players who homer with a start the following day -- Solano homered on Tuesday -- so this may simply be a result of his unorthodox system. The Giants are facing three righties in their upcoming series against the Cardinals, so it will be telling whether this is a depth chart shift or just a blip on the radar.

Cron is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the A's.

Since his last game with a homer June 22, Cron has gone 5-for-40 (.125 average) with nine strikeouts and zero extra-base hits. This seems like a day to clear his head. Ehire Adrianza will get the start at first base and bat sixth against right-hander Tanner Anderson.

Lowe is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees.

Called up from Triple-A Durham earlier in the day to replace the injured Brandon Lowe (lower leg), the rookie Lowe will be a spectator in his first game back with the Rays with lefty J.A. Happ on the mound. Manager Kevin Cash will likely limit Lowe's exposure to lefties during his latest stint in the big leagues, but the 23-year-old slugger should receive the bulk of the action at first base until one of Lowe or Ji-Man Choi (ankle) makes it back from the 10-day injured list.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a double and a run in a win over the Mariners on Wednesday.

Goldschmidt managed what has surprisingly become a relatively rare feat for him, an extra-base hit, during the victory, marking the first time he'd laced anything more than a single since June 20. With just 22 extra-base knocks over 359 plate appearances, the valued offseason acquisition continues on pace for his poorest showing in that category since his 48-game cup of coffee with the Diamondbacks back in 2011. The lack of impactful hits is partly responsible for Goldschmidt's career-low .323 wOBA, with the scenario made even more confounding by the fact he also sports a career-high 49.3 percent hard-contact rate.

Rizzo will start at first base and bat cleanup Thursday against the Pirates.

Rizzo has drawn all but one of his prior 82 starts this season as the Cubs' No. 3 hitter, with the lone other appearance coming out of the leadoff spot. After Javier Baez thrived out of the two hole Wednesday while Kris Bryant (knee) received a maintenance day, however, manager Joe Maddon will deploy Rizzo behind both players as Bryant returns to the lineup in the series finale. The move down one spot in the batting order shouldn't have much of an impact on Rizzo, whose lackluster production lately has been self-inflicted more than a result of being surrounded by underwhelming hitters. Rizzo hasn't produced a home run since June 15 and is batting .207/.324/.276 over the last 17 contests.

Dixon is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the White Sox, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Manager Ron Gardenhire will give Dixon a day to clear his head after the 27-year-old started both ends of Wednesday's doubleheader, going 0-for-9 with three strikeouts. Dixon still remains locked in as the Tigers' everyday first baseman, but he'll cede those duties to Niko Goodrum in the series finale.

Santana went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday in the Indians' 4-0 win over the Royals.

Santana has notched exactly two hits in three straight contests and will carry a nine-game hitting streak into the series finale Thursday while serving as the Indians' designated hitter and No. 3 batter. The veteran maintains a career-high .957 OPS this season, with his production proving instrumental for an Indians offense that has received underwhelming offense from two-time All-Star Jose Ramirez throughout the campaign.

The Rays recalled Lowe from Triple-A Durham prior to Thursday's game against the Yankees, Josh Tolentino of The Athletic reports.

Back up with the big club for the third time this season, Lowe is expected to slot in as the Rays' everyday first baseman after Brandon Lowe (shin) joined Ji-Man Choi (ankle) on the 10-day injured list. Nate Lowe struggled to hit for much power while striking out 11 times in 42 plate appearances between his two stints with the Rays earlier this season, but the 23-year-old has lived up to his billing as a slugger at Durham with a .938 OPS across 68 games. He's been particularly hot at the dish lately, as Lowe turned in a three-homer performance just two days ago before getting the call back to the majors.