MLB Player News

The Diamondbacks selected Valdez's contract from Double-A Amarillo and appointed him the 27th man for Sunday's game against the Padres.

The two clubs get a 27th man for the Mexico City Series this weekend, which will allow Valdez to get his first taste of the big leagues. The 28-year-old had an .853 OPS in 23 games with Amarillo last year but struggled to a .634 OPS when up with Triple-A Reno.

Naylor is managing quad tightness, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

This explains why Naylor was left out of Sunday's starting lineup against the Cardinals. It's unclear at this point if he's at risk of missing additional time or if he's available off the bench Sunday. Connor Joe is starting at first base in Naylor's stead.

Naylor isn't in Seattle's starting lineup Sunday versus St. Louis.

Naylor has been heating up of late, slashing .480/.533/.680 with one home run, four RBI and four stolen bases over his past seven games. He fouled a ball off his foot Friday but remained in the lineup Saturday, so for the time being his absence from the lineup Sunday appears to be a routine rest day. Connor Joe is making a start at first base in Naylor's stead.

Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

It's the second straight contest on the bench for Smith, who saw a nine-game hit streak end Saturday when he struck out as a pinch hitter. The 30-year-old batted .364 (12-for-33) with two doubles, two homers and nine RBI during that stretch. Each of his past two absences have come versus right-handed starting pitchers as Atlanta prioritizes keeping Michael Harris' bat in the lineup at DH while he deals with a minor quad strain. The pending return of Sean Murphy (hip) from the IL presents a bigger obstacle to Smith's playing time in the long run.

The Reds optioned Higgins to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

The 32-year-old has been up in the big leagues the past few weeks, but he'll return to Triple-A with Jose Trevino (back) coming off the IL on Sunday. Higgins played six games and went 2-for-10 with one walk and one RBI.

Torkelson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 9-2 loss to the Reds.

Torkelson extended his home-run streak to four games, which is the slugger's longest at the MLB level. He last went deep in four straight games during his sophomore season at Arizona State in 2019, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports. This is also the first time any Detroit player has accomplished the feat since Ian Kinsler in 2016. Torkelson's surge has quieted some concerns over his slow start, as he didn't go deep once in the first 23 games of the year.

Lowe served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 9-2 win over the Tigers.

Lowe followed Sal Stewart's three-run homer in the first inning with a solo shot. It was the second consecutive game in which Lowe had gone deep. He should see the bulk of his at-bats at DH against right-handers while Eugenio Suarez (oblique) is on the 10-day injured list.

Stewart went 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk and five total RBI in a 9-2 victory versus the Tigers on Saturday.

Stewart didn't wait long to make a big impact, mashing a three-run homer off Jack Flaherty in the first inning. The budding star added a two-run single in the sixth to give him five total RBI -- his second-highest mark of the season. Stewart has been one of MLB's (and fantasy's) brightest stars so far this season, slashing .303/.398/.626 through 118 plate appearances. He leads the majors with 29 RBI, is tied for fourth with nine long balls and is tied for ninth with seven stolen bases (on as many attempts) while exhibiting excellent plate discipline with a 17:21 BB:K.

Loftin went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs scored and a walk in Saturday's win over the Angels.

Loftin recorded his first RBI of the game on a single that scored Jac Caglianone in the bottom of the second inning, and he plated another run with a bases-loaded walk in the third. He would add two more RBI on a fielder's choice following a throwing error from Zach Neto in the seventh, giving the Royals a transitory 8-1 lead. Loftin continues to work in a utility role for the Royals, but he has recorded seven RBI over his last four appearances. He doesn't contribute much in other areas, however, and his limited playing time also conspires against his fantasy upside.

France went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

France got the Padres on the board with a solo shot in the fifth inning before adding another in the ninth. It marked his second multi-hit effort of the season and his first two-homer game since 2023. On the year, the 31-year-old is slashing .265/.306/.559 with four extra-base hits, three RBI and six runs scored across just 36 plate appearances.