MLB Player News

Santana will start at first base and lead off for the Indians in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

Santana manned the leadoff spot for the Indians' first 35 games, but after slashing just .227/.331/.383 during that time, manager Terry Francona moved him down in the order. With rookie Bradley Zimmer getting the day off Sunday, Santana will slot back in atop the lineup for the first time since May 13, but it remains likely that he'll bat sixth or seventh more often than not for games in which Zimmer is in the lineup.

Flores went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored during Saturday's win over Oakland.

With the Mets healthy, Flores has reverted back to a part-time role. It's unfortunate because he's been solid when in the lineup and sports a serviceable .284/.312/.473 slash line. Without more consistent playing time, Flores' upside is capped, and he's best left to deep-league settings.

Gurriel went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer Saturday against the Orioles.

Gurriel's 13th blast of the year started a five-run rally in the sixth inning that led the Astros to victory. He's homered in consecutive games and he continues to provide fantasy owners with an excellent .298 batting average along with a .502 slugging percentage.

Abreu took grounders at third base prior to Saturday's game against the Royals, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

According to Merkin, Abreu looked very fluid at third base, but this would still be a pretty big change if the White Sox end up actually trying him at the hot corner in game action. He has only ever played first base or DH in the big leagues, and would likely have well below-average range at third base. It's also not like the White Sox are blocking some stud first baseman when they play Abreu at first base, so it's hard to see the logic behind giving Abreu starts across the diamond. Nonetheless, if he does somehow add third base eligibility in certain formats, his value would see a slight bump heading into next season.

Goldschmidt is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Nationals.

Daniel Descalso will take over at first base and Chris Iannetta will bat cleanup with Goldschmidt getting the day off. There's no indication of a possible injury for Goldschmidt, so this is likely just a routine rest day after he racked up eight strikeouts in his last three games. Look for Goldschmidt to draw back in for Sunday's series finale against Stephen Strasburg.

Freeman went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in Friday's win over the Dodgers.

The home run was his second in eight games since the All-Star break and 18th of the year in just 51 games. Freeman got the start at first base Friday and is sitting on nine games played at third base, which likely has fantasy GMs in leagues with a 10-game threshold hoping that the Braves hold off just a little longer on trading away Matt Adams.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and two strikeouts in Friday's 6-5 win over the Nationals.

With two hits and eight strikeouts over the last three games, Goldschmidt seems to be pressing of late at the dish, but his sterling track record suggests he'll be able to turn it around before long. Fortunately for the Diamondbacks, they've remained effective as an offensive unit even as their top player has struggled, as Arizona has won two of those three contests while producing 21 runs.

Bell went 4-for-6 with a double, a triple, a run scored and four RBI in Friday's 13-5 win over the Rockies.

The 24-year-old greatly enjoyed his first game in Coors Field, as so many have before him. He now has a .333/.375/.567 slash line with a home run and eight RBI in eight games since the All-Star break, and with the Pirates' offense back at full strength following the return of Starling Marte, Bell should see plenty of run-producing opportunities down the stretch.

Gurriel went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer Friday against the Orioles.

Gurriel blasted his 12th homer of the year to open up a three-run lead for the Astros in the first inning of a winning effort. The 33-year-old has become a much better hitter in his second year in the majors, as he's posting an excellent .300 batting average along with a solid .497 slugging percentage, making him an excellent value for fantasy owners.

Stassi was sent down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Stassi heads to Lehigh Valley with the return of Howie Kendrick (hamstring) to the big-league club. During 51 games with the Phillies this season, Stassi has hit just .167/.278/.295 with two home runs and seven RBI. He will continue to serve as organizational depth while looking to bounce back at the Triple-A level.