MLB Player News

Arias went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 9-2 win over the Rays.

Arias is hitting just .161 (5-for-31) in August, a quick downturn after he appeared to be heating up in late July. The infielder is at a .201/.291/.333 slash line with six homers, 12 RBI, 19 runs scored and a stolen base over 213 plate appearances. Arias has a path to playing time at first base in the near term, a position he may have to share with Kole Calhoun while also battling with Brayan Rocchio and Jose Tena for time at shortstop.

Cronenworth went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and two RBI in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Cronenworth hit an RBI single in the first inning and an RBI double in the seventh to account for half of the Padres' run production. The infielder has nine multi-hit efforts over his last 15 games, a stretch that has raised his batting average from .206 to .232 on the year. He's added a .706 OPS, 10 home runs, six stolen bases, 46 RBI and 52 runs scored through 116 contests overall.

Toglia is not in the starting lineup Sunday against the Dodgers.

Toglia has seen an increased role since the trade deadline but has struggled in August. He is 4-for-37 with zero extra-base hits in the month. The 24-year-old has missed only one game since July 21, so Sunday likely serves as an off day. Elehuris Montero will get the start at first base, hitting seventh.

Solano (knee) is serving as Minnesota's designated hitter and batting leadoff Sunday against Philadelphia

Solano was removed from Tuesday's game against the Tigers with a sprained right knee and will now return after a four-game absence. The 35-year-old was on a nice hot streak at the plate before getting injured, going 8-for-16 with two RBI and four runs scored since Aug. 1.

Cron has been dealing with back tightness, which was a factor in his removal during the sixth inning of Saturday's game and his absence from Sunday's lineup, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Angels manager Phil Nevin indicated after Saturday's loss that he was bothered by how Cron looked while getting out of the way of a pitch, leading to the first baseman's early removal from the contest. Cron has just three hits while striking out 11 times over his past 22 at-bats, though it's not clear if the back issue has anything to do with those struggles. The veteran slugger should be considered day-to-day for the time being.

Cron isn't in the Angels' lineup Sunday against the Astros, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Cron hasn't performed to his usual standard since joining the Angels, slashing just .190/.261/.262 across 46 plate appearances in 12 games. He'll take a day off Sunday while Mike Moustakas fills in at first base, allowing Eduardo Escobar to start at third.

Smith is not in the starting lineup Sunday against the Athletics.

Lefty Ken Waldichuk faces the Nationals, which is why Smith is not starting. On the season, Smith has a .599 OPS against lefties and a .720 OPS against righties. The 28-year-old also did not start in the Nationals' last game against a starting lefty Aug. 5.

Torkelson went 4-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Red Sox.

Torkelson turned in his first four-hit game of the season and third home run over the last four games. For the year, the 23-year-old is now up to 18 long balls, though he's batting just .229. The skills are there, however, for Torkelson to push that average upward the rest of the way, especially if he strings together a few more multi-hit performances.

Walker went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 3-0 win against the Padres.

Walker plated the final two runs in the low-scoring affair with his shot to right field in the third inning, helping Arizona end its nine-game losing streak. The first baseman is up to 24 homers and 73 RBI on the campaign, and he has a chance to challenge the career-best marks of 36 long balls and 94 RBI that he set last season. Walker has been hitting well of late, going 8-for-20 (.400) with two homers, a double and five RBI over his past five contests.

O'Hearn went 0-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's 1-0 win over the Mariners.

O'Hearn has three steals this season, two of which have come in his last eight games. While he's been a pleasant surprise for the Orioles this season, he's cooled off by hitting .207 (6-for-29) over 10 games in August. O'Hearn is at a .294/.330/.491 slash line with nine home runs, 39 RBI, 28 runs scored and 15 doubles through 230 plate appearances. He's seen time at first base, right field and left field over the last week as manager Brandon Hyde has gotten creative to keep O'Hearn's bat in the lineup.