MLB Player News

Gurriel went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Sunday against the Athletics.

Gurriel took Sean Manaea deep in the third inning for his eighth home run of the season. Since bringing his average up to a season-best .310 mark on July 15, he has just nine RBI and 11 runs scored and is now batting .280. Though he's not known for his power production, he had also gone over a month without a home run prior to going deep on Wednesday against the Rockies. However, Gurriel has recorded at least one hit in six of his last seven games -- including four extra-base hits -- so he is showing signs of breaking out of this prolonged slump.

Cron went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Red Sox.

Cron went deep off Matt Barnes in the ninth inning to extend the team's lead heading into the final half-inning. The 28-year-old slugger has now homered in consecutive games after a slow start to the month (.214/.250/.429 across 13 games), so he'll look to keep things rolling as the Rays head to Kansas City for a four-game set with the Royals.

Olson went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and two runs in a win over the Astros on Saturday.

Nine (seven doubles, two home runs) of Olson's 16 hits during August have now gone for extra bases, and he's generated three straight two-hit efforts. The 24-year-old's bat began heating up at the tail end of July, and he's now slashing .318/.366/.545 over the 71 plate appearances encompassing his last 17 games.

Smith will be the Mets' 26th man for Sunday's Little League Classic against the Phillies.

Both teams will get an extra man with the game being played in Williamsport, Pa. Smith has disappointed for the Mets so far this season, hitting just .183/.216/.324 in 28 games. Since he's just up as the extra man, it's likely that he heads right back to Triple-A Las Vegas following the game.

Diaz will serve as the Indians' designated hitter and bat fourth Sunday against the Orioles.

Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 11 in a corresponding move for Edwin Encarnacion's (biceps) placement on the disabled list and has effectively assumed Encarnacion's spot as the Indians' primary DH. The 26-year-old, who has gone 5-for-13 with three RBI since his promotion, will draw his third consecutive start Sunday.

Smith is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas ahead of Sunday's game against the Phillies, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Since being sent down to Triple-A on July 20, Smith has been receiving regular reps in left field and should see most of his action at that position now that he's back with the Mets. It's unclear if the 23-year-old will be in store for a full-time role right away during his upcoming stint in the big leagues, but with neither Jose Bautista nor Austin Jackson viewed as integral pieces for the future, it wouldn't be a surprise if Smith re-emerged as a lineup regular over the final weeks of the season. Smith has yet to find much success over 77 career games in the majors, slashing just .193/.249/.374 with 10 home runs and 27 RBI in those contests.

Goldschmidt went 4-for-4 with a double and four RBI in the Diamondbacks' 7-6 loss to the Padres on Saturday.

The red-hot Goldschmidt is now riding an 11-game hitting streak, matching his longest of the season. Over that stretch, he's slashing .438/.481/.792 with nine extra-base hits (four home runs), 11 RBI and eight runs. While Goldschmidt remains in the thick of contention for the NL MVP award, his counting stats still lag well behind his usual marks. He's on pace to finish with 93 RBI and 102 runs, both of which would be his lowest outputs in those categories since 2014.

Cron went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Red Sox.

His sixth-inning blast off David Price spoiled a potential shutout bid but otherwise didn't affect the outcome. It was Cron's 23rd homer of the year but his first in August, and the slugger has a sluggish .191/.264/.426 slash line in 15 games since the All-Star break.

Hoskins went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Mets.

Hoskins stole his fifth base and hit his 29th double of the 2018 campaign, although the Philadelphia offense was held in check by Jacob deGrom. Hoskins has launched four home runs and driven in seven runs over 16 games in August, so he's off to yet another productive month at the dish.

Flores went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Saturday's game against Philadelphia.

Flores got the Mets on the board in the fourth inning after singling home a run. He's having a solid month at the dish, as he's hitting .296 with two home runs and 12 RBI over 18 games in August.