MLB Player News

Abreu (hip) is available to pinch hit Friday against the Tigers, Daryl Von Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Although Abreu was held out of the starting lineup again, he is apparently healthy enough to pinch hit if needed. Matt Davidson is starting at first base for Friday's contest, though manager Rick Renteria said Abreu could return to the lineup Saturday.

Abreu (hip) is not in the lineup Friday against the Tigers.

Although Abreu was confident he would return to the lineup Friday, the White Sox apparently had other plans. He was lifted prematurely from Wednesday's game with what was diagnosed as a mild right hip flexor strain, and it appears the ailment still hasn't entirely subsided. He'll get another day off in hopes of returning to the lineup Saturday, while Matt Davidson fills in at first for Friday's contest.

Flores (knee) is close to being ready to begin a rehab assignment, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.

Flores first went down on April 21 when he had to spend a night in the hospital due to an infection in his knee, resulting in a trip to the 10-day DL. If he can get back on the field rehabbing soon, the Mets will be hoping to have him back by early May.

Cronenworth's hitting streak for High-A Charlotte, which dates back to the tail end of last season, is now at 20 games, making him the 11th player in Rays organization history to reach that mark, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cronenworth has now matched Rays stalwart Carl Crawford's best hitting streak and is eight games behind Aubrey Huff's franchise-record 28-game tear. The 23-year-old shortstop is slashing .397/.506/.521 over 87 plate appearances with three doubles, three triples, 14 walks, four stolen bases and 19 runs. The 2015 seventh-round pick entered the season with a .285 average over his first two minor-league campaigns, including a .322 mark in 81 games at Low-A Bowling Green last season.

Cron went 2-for-3 with an RBI double in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Athletics.

Cron logged his first multi-hit game since April 9 and drove in the second and final run of the night for the Angels in the first with a two-bagger that plated Albert Pujols. The 27-year-old has struggled to make hard contact thus far this season, with a pair of doubles as the only extra-base hits he's amassed over 61 plate appearances after he set career highs in doubles (25) and triples (2) while equaling a personal best with 16 homers in 2016. Cron has split time with Jefry Marte at first base, although the latter's struggles (.163/.234/.279 over 47 plate appearances) run even deeper than Cron's.

Olson was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday.

Olson made just one appearance with the Athletics before being sent back to Nashville, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while playing the entire game in left field. He's now just a combined 2-for-25 in his two major-league stints. He'll head back to Triple-A for some more seasoning, though he could earn another promotion should an opportunity in the majors arise.

Calhoun went 3-for-5 with an RBI single in Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Athletics.

Much like new teammate Cameron Maybin, Calhoun has thus far been unable to follow up a solid 2016 campaign with a successful encore, as Wednesday's production still leaves his line at .238/.326/.310 over his first 93 plate appearances. However, there are signs the veteran outfielder may be breaking out of his slumber, as he's now hit safely in three straight and six of his last seven, while reaching safely in seven straight overall. Calhoun's three-hit night also marked his first multi-hit effort since April 12 versus the Rangers.

Goldschmidt recorded three hits in four at-bats and provided three RBI, one run and one stolen base in Wednesday's 8-5 loss to the Padres.

It was a history-making day for the sizzling Goldschmidt, who has terrorized the Padres during the four-game series. He tied a Diamondbacks record by reaching base in nine consecutive plate appearances spanning the last two contests and became the third National League player since the beginning of the 2014 season to record multiple RBI in five consecutive starts. His .459 on-base percentage for the season ranks fifth in the majors among qualifying players.

Joseph is not in the Phillies' lineup Thursday against the Marlins, Ryan Lawrence of The Philly Voice reports.

The first sacker went 1-for-4 Wednesday in his first game since April 22, likely an effort to try to turn his scuffling season around with an extended rest. Joseph, however, will have to wait for a chance to build on that. Brock Stassi occupies first base and hits seventh Thursday.

Bell went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Cubs.

His sixth-inning blast off Jon Lester, Bell's third homer of the season, proved to be crucial after the Cubs staged a rally in the eighth that brought them to within one run. The switch-hitting first baseman's hit all three of his home runs within the last week, slashing .316/.435/.789 during that stretch, but hitting in the bottom third of the order has limited him to only six RBI in 21 games. With Pittsburgh looking for offense, expect Bell to work his way into a more productive spot in the lineup if he stays locked in.