MLB Player News

Noda (jaw) will take live batting practice Saturday, the Associated Press reports.

Noda was originally slated to take live batting practice Tuesday against Mason Miller (elbow) before it was determined he'd wait a few more days. The recovering rookie is apparently now ready to step back into the batter's box and take some hacks, and if all goes well, he could be set for activation in the coming days without the need for a rehab assignment.

Casas went 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run in Friday's 5-2 win over the Tigers.

Casas caught all of Tarik Skubal's slider that stayed over the middle of the plate for a no-doubter in the fourth inning. It increased Boston's one-run lead to 4-0. The homer was Casas' 10th since the All-Star break. The Red Sox were patient with the first baseman, whose average was under .200 through the middle of June. He's hitting .253/.353/.488 for the season.

Cronenworth went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer in Friday's win against the Diamondbacks.

Cronenworth drilled a two-run shot during San Diego's four-run third inning. It was his 10th long ball of the year and second in his last five appearances immediately following a 25-game homerless drought. Despite the recent lack of power, Cronenworth has produced a 1.085 OPS over his last 13 games, raising his season slash line to .229/.315/.387 through 114 games.

Singleton went 3-for-4 with two homers, five RBI and three runs scored in Friday's 11-3 win over the Angels.

The two blasts marked Singleton's first big-league home runs in more than eight years. The 31-year-old was called up Aug. 8 and was making his second consecutive start for the Astros in place of an injured Jose Abreu (back). Prior to a previous stint this year with the Brewers, Singleton hadn't played in the majors since October 2015. His return is a great story, but he'll likely have difficulty carving out a regular role over the final two months of the season.

Lowe went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-1 win over the Giants.

Lowe broke a scoreless deadlock with his sixth-inning blast off Ross Stripling. Lowe has gone just 6-for-26 (.231) over his last six games, but he's swatted two homers and four doubles with five RBI in that span. The first baseman is slashing .280/.373/.454 with 13 long balls, 63 RBI, 72 runs scored and 32 doubles through 115 contests as one of the steadiest hitters in the Rangers' strong lineup.

Cron went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Astros.

Cron's second-inning home run was his 12th of the year in 67 games, but his first since returning to the organization he made his major-league debut with in 2014. Cron has played in every game for the Angels since being traded from the Rockies on July 31. He holds a .222 batting average over 36 at-bats in 11 games since the trade.

France went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 9-2 win over the Orioles.

France has two homers, eight RBI and three doubles over his last 13 games, a span in which he's gone 16-for-45 (.356). The first baseman struggled for most of July, but he's getting back on track as the Mariners surge in pursuit of a wild-card spot. For the season, he's at a .256/.330/.384 slash line with nine homers, 46 RBI, 62 runs scored, one stolen base and 27 doubles through 112 games.

Bell continued his hot hitting with a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Yankees.

Bell's latest home run came from the left side of the plate as he pulverized a Randy Vasquez offering 407 feet to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning. It was measured at 107.9 mph off the bat. Bell has now homered four times in nine games with the Marlins since coming over at the trade deadline, and three of those dingers have come in his last two contests.

Rizzo (head) said Friday that he is aiming to ramp up his baseball activities within the next week, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Rizzo was placed on the injured list Aug. 3 due to post-concussion syndrome, stemming from a collision with Fernando Tatis back in late May. He has already played some catch and said he's been performing better in his concussion protocol tests. There's no exact timetable for Rizzo's return to the Yankees' active roster, but the veteran first baseman seems to be moving in an encouraging direction.

Santana (illness) is starting at first base and batting third Friday against the White Sox.

Santana missed two starts due to illness, but he was able to serve as a pinch hitter during Wednesday's win over Colorado and will resume his duties as Milwaukee's first baseman to begin the series with the White Sox. Santana is slashing .163/.200/.302 across 45 plate appearances since joining the Brewers.