MLB Player News
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Promotion not coming Tuesday
Guerrero isn't expected to receive a promotion from Triple-A Buffalo ahead of the Blue Jays' series opener Tuesday against the Giants, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Some reports over the past few days indicated Guerrero's MLB debut would come Tuesday during the start of the Blue Jays' homestand, but manager Charlie Montoyo suggested over the weekend that likely wouldn't be the case, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto hasn't officially confirmed when baseball's top prospect will arrive in the majors, but Nicholson-Smith believes that Friday's game against the Athletics is the most realistic target. Due to the uncertainty of Guerrero's arrival date, fantasy managers in leagues with weekly lineups may be best off keeping him on the bench -- especially with Toronto playing just five games this week -- but it's apparent the wait will come to an end soon.
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Keston Hiura 2B | LAD
Brewers' Keston Hiura: Mixed results to open season
Hiura is 19-for-64 (.297) with four home runs, six doubles, 12 RBI and a 1:24 BB:K through 17 games with Triple-A San Antonio.
Hiura is hitting a ton in his first stop at the Triple-A level, but he has struggled a bit with his plate discipline early on, as both his walk and strikeout rates are far on the opposite end of his career norms. Hiura certainly has the skills to turn things around as he gets more comfortable with Triple-A pitchers, and the Brewers can afford him ample time to figure things out with quality infield depth on their 40-man roster.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Braves' Freddie Freeman: Huge in Sunday night win
Freeman went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs and two RBI in Sunday's 11-5 win over the Indians.
Josh Donaldson and Freeman, the Nos. 2 and 3 hitters in the Atlanta lineup, combined to reach base eight times on the night and chased Cleveland starter Shane Bieber from the contest midway through the third inning. Freeman has been consistently productive right from the start of the season and should begin to see his run-producing opportunities increase now that Ozzie Albies and Donaldson are heating up in front of him in the order.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Pirates' Josh Bell: Hits fourth homer
Bell went 1-for-3, hitting a two-run home run in a 3-2 loss to the Giants on Sunday.
The 26-year-old accounted for the only runs the Pirates scored in the loss. After a really disappointing 2018 season, Bell is off to a wonderful start, hitting for both average and power. While his four homers through 19 games doesn't stand out, he's already a third of the way to his 12-bomb total from last season. With five doubles and a triple as well, Bell supports a .591 slugging percentage. He is also hitting .303 with 15 RBI and 13 runs in 66 at-bats.
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Brandon Dixon 1B | SD
Tigers' Brandon Dixon: Posts two hits in team debut
Dixon went 2-for-3 with two singles and an RBI during his 2019 MLB debut in a 4-3 victory against the White Sox on Sunday.
The 27-year-old made a nice impression during his Tigers debut. The team called him up from Triple-A on Thursday when it placed Christin Stewart on the 10-day injured list. Dixon has some pop, as he recorded 11 extra-base hits in 118 at-bats with the Reds last season, but he also only slashed .178/.218/.356. Despite the hot debut, keep the expectations in check.
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Paul Goldschmidt 1B | NYY
Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Drives in two runs
Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Mets.
Goldschmidt knocked a two-run single in the second frame and later scored on a Marcell Ozuna double. He owns an eight-game hitting streak, going 12-for-35 with five RBI in the process. However, he's striking out in roughly 30 percent of his plate appearances this season after just 22.5 percent in nine seasons with Arizona.
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Pete Alonso 1B | BAL
Mets' Pete Alonso: Launches eighth homer
Alonso went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-4 loss to St. Louis.
Alonso got things started early with a long shot in the first inning. The slugging rookie went through a six-game homerless drought but now has two in his last three contests. Alonso owns an outstanding .325/.416/.727 slash line with 15 extra-base hits and 19 RBI.
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Christian Walker 1B | HOU
Diamondbacks' Christian Walker: Battling minor hip issue
Walker's absence from the lineup Sunday against the Cubs is due to a hip pointer, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
The minor injury explains why Walker will hit the bench following a four-hit performance. He's expected to return to the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates.
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Joey Votto 1B | TOR
Reds' Joey Votto: Remains out of lineup
Votto (back) remains out of the lineup Sunday against San Diego, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Back tightness kept Votto out of the lineup Saturday, and he'll get at least two more days to rest with the Reds having an off day Monday. Kyle Farmer gets the call again at first base.
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Christian Walker 1B | HOU
Diamondbacks' Christian Walker: Heads to bench
Walker is not starting Sunday against the Cubs.
After a stretch in which he picked up two hits in nine games, Walker has 15 over his last six contests. Wilmer Flores will slide over to first base in his absence, with Ketel Marte moving in from center field to second base.