MLB Player News

Busch went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 7-1 win over the Red Sox.

Busch has been great so far in his first season with the Cubs, as he's slashing .289/.347/.554 with six home runs and 17 RBI across 24 games. The 26-year-old regularly sits against southpaws, but when a righty is on the mound, Busch looks like a strong fantasy asset at the moment. It helps him that the whole Chicago lineup is clicking during the team's 17-9 start, giving Busch plenty of chances to rack up stats.

X-rays on Diaz's hand came back negative Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Diaz had to leave Friday's game after getting hit in the hand by a pitch during the eighth inning, but it seems he escaped the incident without suffering any significant damage. He may still step out of the lineup for a game or two to avoid playing with any lingering pain, but an extended absence isn't likely.

Diaz was removed from Friday's game against the White Sox after getting hit by a pitch, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Diaz took a 99-mph fastball off his hand during the eighth inning of Friday's contest and was immediately replaced on the bases. He will presumably undergo imaging, and the Rays should offer an update on his status sometime after the game.

The Padres optioned Batten to Triple-A El Paso on Friday.

Batten didn't appear in a game during his latest stint in the big leagues, and he will now return to the minors as Manny Machado returns from paternity leave. Batten is slashing .224/.318/.293 across 66 plate appearances at Triple-A.

Burger (oblique) will go through a full on-field workout Friday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Burger is nearly two weeks removed from suffering a left intercostal strain and is finally ready to resume all baseball activities. It would appear a rehab assignment is just around the corner, with a return sometime in early- to mid-May if all goes well.

Casas revealed Friday that he's dealing with torn cartilage in his left ribcage, not a fractured rib as had been previously reported, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The injury is an unusual one and carries a wide range of potential recovery timelines, with Casas saying it could be anywhere from three to nine weeks before he's cleared for cardio and strengthening activities. Once that happens, he would presumably need a few more weeks before he's game-ready. Casas did add that he's very optimistic he'll be back at some point this season, it's just unclear when that might be. Bobby Dalbec is currently filling in at first base for the Red Sox.

Noda is out of the lineup for Friday's game at Baltimore.

The 28-year-old sat against lefty Nestor Cortes on Thursday and is on the bench again Friday versus righty Corbin Burnes. Tyler Nevin will receive a start at first base as Noda has a .523 OPS through 83 plate appearances this season.

Montero went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk Thursday against the Padres.

Montero went 6-for-22 through the first six games of the Rockies' homestand, though all but one of those hits was a single. His lone extra-base knock came Thursday, which also marked the first home run of his season. Montero is batting only .233 through 82 plate appearances, but he has cut his strikeout rate to just 14.6 percent this season and has started 13 of the last 14 games.

Vaught went 2-for-5 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's loss to the Twins.

Vaughn singled in his first trip to the plate before stealing his first base of the season. He added a double in his next at-bat, then came around to score on a Paul DeJong single to put Chicago up 2-0, marking the first baseman's first multi-hit performance since April 9 against the Guardians. Vaughn is batting just .170 (15-for-88) following the two-hit effort, though he has hit safely in three of his last four games.

Hoskins went 3-for-5 in Thursday's win over the Pirates with a double, two RBI and a stolen base.

Hoskins singled home William Contreras in his second at-bat to tie the game at 3-3 and later added an RBI double to give Milwaukee a one-run lead. The first baseman has recorded at least one RBI in four of his last six games, while Thursday marked his second three-hit effort of the season. With that said, he's still batting just .219 (16-for-73) in April with four homers and 13 RBI.