MLB Player News

Alonso went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, a double, three RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Nationals.

Alonso has been seeing the ball well recently, as he's now homered in back-to-back contests. The 24-year-old first baseman is batting .382 with nine extra-base hits and 11 RBI through nine games in 2019.

Diaz will start at first base and lead off in Sunday's game against the Giants, Josh Tolentino of The Athletic reports.

Diaz will occupy the leadoff spot for the third time this season, with each of those assignments coming against left-handed pitching. The Rays are expected to continue to deploy a platoon atop the order for the foreseeable future, with the lefty-hitting Austin Meadows setting the table on most occasions.

Calhoun (knee) won't start in Sunday's game against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels have yet to reveal who will replace Calhoun in right field, but the 31-year-old will be afforded at least one day off after bruising his right knee in Saturday's contest. Fortunately for Calhoun, he said he noticed improvement when reporting to the park Sunday and should be available off the bench. Calhoun would seem to have decent odds of rejoining the lineup at some point during the three-game series with Milwaukee that begins Monday.

Alonso went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Saturday's win over the Nationals.

The rookie has been even better than expected to begin his MLB career, slashing .367/.406/.733 with two homers and eight RBI through eight games. Alonso has struck out 11 times, and he'll have to make some adjustments eventually once pitchers get a book on him, but he is very quickly proving he's the long-term answer at first base for the Mets.

Flores is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

Flores received the starting nod Saturday but will return to the bench for the third time in the last four games. The 27-year-old has gotten off to a slow start by slashing .227/.293/.318 through 24 plate appearances. Ketel Marte will move up to second base while Jarrod Dyson starts in center field Sunday.

Gurriel is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager AJ Hinch relayed shortly after the lineup was released that Gurriel's absence is merely a planned rest day. With the 34-year-old heading to the bench for the series finale, utility man Aledmys Diaz will enter the lineup and make his first MLB start at first base.

Cron will start at first base and bat second Sunday against the Phillies.

Cron has regularly been hitting in the heart of the order for the Twins this season, but he'll move up a few spots with typical No. 2 hitter Jorge Polanco receiving the day off. Expect the slugger to move back to fourth or fifth in the order when the Twins kick off a two-game set in New York against the Mets on Tuesday.

Votto is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

With no recent reports indicating that Votto is dealing with an injury, he's presumably just getting an early season breather in the series finale. After going 4-for-21 at the plate through the Reds' first six games, Votto's bat has woken up a bit in Pittsburgh the past two days, during which he's recorded a double and his first home run of the season. Derek Dietrich will fill in for Votto at first base for Sunday's matinee game.

Hoskins went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Twins.

Hoskins has been busy against the Twins as he is now 4-for-6 with three walks, two runs scored, five RBI and a home run in two games. The 26-year-old is enjoying a fast start to the season by slashing .318/.516/.636 with two home runs and 11 RBI through seven games.

Gurriel went 3-for-4 with three doubles and an RBI in Saturday's 6-0 win over the A's.

While the 34-year-old is still looking for his first home run in 2019, he's had no problem putting a charge in the ball -- five of his 10 hits so far have been two-baggers, leading to a .303/.361/.455 slash line. Gurriel's fantasy ceiling is limited due to his lack of true over-the-fence power, but he still offers solid value in deeper formats.