MLB Player News

Cron is out of the lineup Sunday against the Astros.

The slumping Cron will hit the bench for the second time in three days after finishing June with a .130/.244/.299 batting line over 22 contests. As one of the top power hitters on the roster, Cron still seems on track to retain a near-everyday role in the Rays lineup, but he'll likely be subject to more frequent rest until his bat starts to heat up. Carlos Gomez will serve as the designated hitter in Cron's stead in the series finale.

Gurriel was reinstated from the paternity list Sunday and will start at third base and bat third in the series finale against the Rays, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

It's only the fourth start of the season at the hot corner for Gurriel, who missed the past three games following the birth of his son, Jayren. Alex Bregman will shift over to shortstop Sunday with Carlos Correa (back) still on the disabled list, but it's expected that Marwin Gonzalez will serve as the primary option at the position until Correa is activated. With that in mind, Gurriel seems unlikely to see enough action at the hot corner to gain eligibility at the position in most leagues, at least not anytime soon.

Calhoun led off and went 0-for-5 in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Orioles.

Calhoun was moved to the leadoff spot after posting a .281/.351/.500 slash line in his previous 11 starts since returning from the disabled list June 18. If Calhoun continues to get some run batting atop the order, then the outfielder would stand to receive a boost in run-scoring opportunities while batting in front of Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Albert Pujols (137 combined RBI this season).

Gurriel (personal) is expected to be in the lineup for the series finale against the Rays on Sunday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Gurriel had been away from the team on paternity leave and missed the first three games of the series against Tampa Bay. A.J. Reed likely will be optioned to Triple-A Fresno upon Gurriel's return.

Smith's absence from the last two starting lineups was due to a sore right wrist, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith's injury doesn't appear to be serious, though it's unclear if he'd deserve a spot in the starting lineup when healthy. Through 17 games, he's hitting just .222/.255/.400, with miserable strikeout (36.2 percent) and walk (2.1 percent) rates. Still, the struggling Mets have little reason not to give him the opportunity to prove whether or not he's a part of their core moving forward, so expect him in the lineup on a fairly frequent basis.

Santana went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's loss to the Nationals.

The homer, Santana's 14th of the season, was a two-out shot off Tim Collins. Santana's batting average is still just .225 -- the lowest of his career -- though much of that can be attributed to a frustrating run of luck early in the season. Since May 1, the first baseman has hit .264 with 12 home runs. The veteran has been a strong all-around offensive asset this season outside of that poor batted-ball luck. He's on pace for 28 home runs, the second-highest total of his career, while his 17.8 percent walk rate (third in the league behind Mike Trout and Bryce Harper) and 13.4 percent strikeout rate are both career bests.

Guerrero (strained patella tendon) is "doing great" in his rehab and is ahead of schedule by a day or two, according to general manager Ross Atkins, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

He last played June 6 and was set to miss at least four weeks, so it sounds like he could return in early July if this timetable is accurate. Once healthy, Guerrero will likely be promoted to Triple-A in relatively short order, but this injury severely hurts his chances of reaching the majors this season.

Walker was called up from Triple-A Reno on Friday.

Walker has played in 17 games with the Diamondbacks this season, going 3-for-17 with two RBI and 10 strikeouts during his brief opportunities at the big-league level. He will supply a little extra depth all around the field but don't expect him to make much of an impact. Jimmie Sherfy was optioned to Reno in a corresponding move.

Smith is not in the lineup against the Marlins on Friday.

Smith will remain on the bench for a second straight game as Jose Bautista draws another start in the outfield during the first contest of the Mets' mini road trip. Over 14 games in June, Smith has hit .233 with a .685 OPS while striking out 16 times.

Cron is not in the lineup Friday against the Astros.

Cron will sit against a tough right-hander in Gerrit Cole. Matt Duffy will be the Rays' designated hitter Friday.