MLB Player News
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Rowdy Tellez 1B | ATL
Blue Jays' Rowdy Tellez: Smacks third homer
Tellez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Thursday against the Red Sox.
Tellez took Nathan Eovaldi deep in the third inning -- a monster blast into the right-field stands -- to record his third home run of the season. After being out of the lineup Tuesday with left-hander Chris Sale on the mound, Tellez returned to the lineup as the first baseman and batted fifth. Though he's striking out at nearly a 30 percent clip early on, Tellez has also shown he's capable of providing plenty of power; he holds a .310 ISO so far.
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Carlos Santana 1B | ATL
Indians' Carlos Santana: Reaches base five times
Santana went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two walks Thursday against the Tigers.
Santana reached base each time he batted Thursday, though he didn't record any extra-base hits. He's gotten off to a solid start early on, as this performance brought his on-base percentage to .521 through 48 plate appearances. His power has been a bit lacking, as indicated by a .150 ISO, though he has still been able to rack up counting stats as the team's cleanup hitter.
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Christian Walker 1B | HOU
Diamondbacks' Christian Walker: Heads to bench
Walker is on the bench Thursday against the Padres.
Walker had started eight straight but had clearly cooled off after a hot start. In his last six games, he's hit .091 with a 43.5 percent strikeout rate. Wilmer Flores gets the start at first base.
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Christian Walker 1B | HOU
Diamondbacks' Christian Walker: Slumping after hot start
Walker struck out in all four of his plate appearances Wednesday in the Diamondbacks' 5-2 loss to the Rangers.
Walker slugged three home runs in the Diamondbacks' first five games to put himself on the fantasy radar, then saw his outlook improve after his platoon mate at first base, Jake Lamb (quadriceps), landed on the injured list. Unfortunately, Walker hasn't been able to take advantage since seizing an everyday role, managing only two hits in his last 22 at-bats while striking out 10 times. The contact woes are likely to remain an issue for Walker, so if he's unable to supply power on a consistent basis, the Diamondbacks could elect to give Wilmer Flores a spin at first base. Flores has acted as the Diamondbacks' primary second baseman but isn't a great defensive fit at the position.
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Matt Olson 1B | ATL
Athletics' Matt Olson: Taking one-handed swings
Olson (hand) took one-handed swings Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
He has been taking grounders and doing cardio over the past week as well, but he's not yet ready to take swings using his surgically repaired right hand. The first-base platoon of Kendrys Morales and Mark Canha will continue to operate for the next couple months while Olson is on the mend.
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Justin Bour 1B | SF
Angels' Justin Bour: Bat waking up
Bour went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Brewers.
The first baseman is still only slashing .154/.313/.256 through 11 games, but he's hit safely in four straight while collecting his only homer and four of his five RBI. Bour hit third with Mike Trout (groin) sidelined, which speaks as much to the sketchy nature of the lineup around the superstar as it does Bour's own skills, but the 30-year-old should continue to fill a prime spot in the batting order and get plenty of chances to heat up even after Trout is back in action.
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Josh Bell DH | MIN
Pirates' Josh Bell: Hot hitting continues
Bell went 2-for-4 with an RBI single against the Cubs on Wednesday.
He's batting .391 in 24 at-bats over his last six games, with three doubles and a pair of home runs. Bell hit only two homers in his first 155 plate appearances last year. He bounced around the batting order for the second half of 2018 but has batted fourth in the lineup for every game in April thus far.
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Wilmer Flores 1B | SF
Diamondbacks' Wilmer Flores: Takes seat Wednesday
Flores is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rangers.
Flores will head to the bench for the second time in three games as Ketel Marte picks up a start at the keystone against right-hander Lance Lynn. Through eight games this season, Flores is hitting just .222/.276/.296 with two doubles and a 2:3 BB:K.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Headed to Triple-A
Guerrero (oblique) will report to Triple-A Buffalo, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
Guerrero is ready to join Buffalo after completing a four-game rehab stint with High-A Dunedin, going 4-for-15 with a double in those appearances. The tentative plan is for the 20-year-old to get his timing down with the Bisons before earning a promotion to the majors.
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Ryan O'Hearn 1B | PIT
Royals' Ryan O'Hearn: On bench vs. lefty
O'Hearn is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners.
As per usual, O'Hearn will hit the bench with a southpaw (Yusei Kikuchi) starting for the opposition. In his place, Frank Schwindel will start at first base and hit fifth.