MLB Player News

Cron is not in Saturday's lineup against the Rays, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

He is hitting .268 with one home run and 13 strikeouts over his last 10 games. Marwin Gonzalez starts at first base, hitting third.

Lowe was called up from Triple-A Durham prior to Saturday's game against the Twins, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Avisail Garcia (hamstring) and Tommy Pham (lower leg) are day-to-day, so the Rays wanted an extra healthy bat. Lowe and Ji-Man Choi should start at first base and designated hitter in the short term, but it's possible Lowe's second stint in the big leagues could be a brief one if Garcia and Pham do not require stints on the injured list. Lowe was hitting .257/.390/.424 with three home runs and a 34:29 K:BB in 40 games with Durham. Adam Kolarek was sent down in a corresponding move.

Abreu went 0-for-4 with an RBI in a 6-1 win over the Indians on Friday.

Abreu's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning drove in his 50th run of the season, placing him atop the AL in RBI. He's driven in eight runners over the last four games while going just 2-for-15 during that span. Abreu has taken advantage with runners in scoring position, posting a .966 OPS in those situations.

Flores (foot) is limited while in a walking boot but has continued to do upper-body maintenance, Jenna Ortiz of the Arizona Republic reports.

The Diamondbacks have not released a timetable for Flores' return, but it's safe to assume he'll miss longer than the 10-day minimum. Ketel Marte and Ildemaro Vargas are picking up starts at second base while Flores is unavailable.

Walker went 3-for-3 with a walk, a two-run homer and a second run scored in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Mets.

Kevin Cron has already been sent back to Triple-A Reno, but the brief competition seems to have lit a fire under Walker. The 28-year-old has gone yard in back-to-back games and has collected six hits over his last three contests, emphatically snapping a 3-for-44 slump. On the season, Walker is slashing .259/.333/.497 with 10 homers and 22 RBI.

Guerrero went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double and a solo home run in Friday's 13-6 loss to the Rockies.

The 20-year-old's first visit to Coors Field paid immediate dividends, as he launched his sixth homer of the year in the eighth inning. Guerrero is still struggling to get rolling in the majors -- he has two three-hit performances in his last eight games but has gone 1-for-21 in the other six contests, leaving him with a .248/.322/.459 overall slash line.

Tellez was lifted from Friday night's game against the Rockies after feeling discomfort in his hamstring while running to first base, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Tellez was reportedly removed from the contest as a precaution, and even though skipper Charlie Montoyo doesn't expect this to be an issue for Tellez, his status will be something to monitor over the weekend.

Mountcastle (wrist) returned to the lineup at Triple-A Norfolk, his first action since May 24.

Mountcastle was hitless in four at-bats, fanning twice, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him struggle over the course of the next few games due to his week-long absence. He could be promoted later in the summer if he continues to hit well.

Diaz (hand) will be sent to extended spring training Friday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Diaz is still experiencing a bit of discomfort in his left hand while swinging a bat, but he'll head to Port Charlotte on Friday to see some game action. A timetable for his return remains up in the air at this point.

Blandino (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Monday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Blandino hasn't played since surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL last July. Given the length of his absence, his rehab assignment is unlikely to be brief.