MLB Player News

Torkelson went 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's win over the White Sox.

Torkelson and Riley Greene had identical stat lines from the third and fourth spots in the lineup. While Greene seems to be breaking out in his sophomore campaign, Torkelson hasn't seen the same level of success, as he's batting only .242 with a .681 OPS. Both figures are up from last year, however, and the 23-year-old has the talent to keep trending upward through the summer months. He also has multiple hits in three of his last six games.

Alonso went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run, an additional run scored, a stolen base and two walks in Thursday's 10-1 win over the Cubs.

Alonso did a little bit of everything in his first multi-hit effort since April 27. While he lacked massive performances in that span, he hit safely in 17 of those 24 contests. The steal was his first of the campaign, while his homer was his major-league-leading 19th and his sixth in the last nine games. He's added 45 RBI, 35 runs scored and a .239/.341/.559 slash line through 51 contests overall.

Raley went 0-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and two stolen bases Thursday against the Blue Jays.

Raley didn't have a big game at first glance, though his pair of stolen bases gives him six on the campaign. He entered the season having failed to even attempt a stolen base across 144 career plate appearances. Raley is also a significant source of power production with 10 home runs and is a regular in the Rays' lineup against right-handed pitchers.

Cooper went 1-for-1 with a two-run homer in Thursday's loss to the Rockies.

Cooper started the day on the bench after going 2-for-26 in his last six games. However, he pinch hit for Nick Fortes with two outs in the ninth and blasted a two-run, game-tying home run off Pierce Johnson. It's Cooper's fifth homer of the season and just his second since April 9. He's now slashing .239/.280/.403 with 19 RBI through 143 plate appearances this year.

Hall (thumb) could start a rehab assignment early next week, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Hall has passed all of the necessary tests in his recovery from April 12 surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He's on the 60-day injured list but can be activated by the Phillies as early as June 5. Kody Clemens and Alec Bohm are currently sharing starts at first base for the reigning NL champs. Clemens has been swinging a hot bat lately but would probably be at the biggest risk of losing playing time upon Hall's return.

France (wrist) is starting at first base Thursday against Oakland.

France took a pitch to the wrist Tuesday, which forced him to miss Wednesday's game. He will return to Seattle's lineup looking to build on his recent success, as he is 3-for-6 with a homer and three runs scored over his last two games.

Manager Bud Black said Thursday that Cron (back) is expected to begin taking swings soon, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Cron has moved along more slowly than expected in his recovery from a bout of lower-back spasms, which sent him to the 10-day IL exactly 10 days ago. A return in early June is the best-case scenario. Michael Toglia and Mike Moustakas have been sharing starts at first base in Cron's absence.

Pasquantino went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a walk in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Tigers.

Pasquantino had gone 11 games without a multi-hit effort entering Wednesday, a span in which he hit an awful .095 (4-for-42) with two home runs and a 3:9 BB:K. In terms of breaking out of a slump, Wednesday was a solid first step for Pasquantino, who was one of the Royals' most consistent hitters early in the season. He's still slashing .262/.347/.481 with nine homers, 24 RBI, 22 runs scored and 14 doubles through 50 contests.

Cooper is out of the lineup Thursday afternoon at Colorado.

Cooper went 0-for-5 with a strikeout Wednesday and is slashing just .233/.275/.376 in 142 plate appearances for the year. Yuli Gurriel will play first base Thursday and Jorge Soler will serve as the Marlins' designated hitter.

Diaz (personal) returned to the Rays on Thursday but is not in the starting lineup for their series finale against the Blue Jays, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Diaz was excused from the club Wednesday for a private family matter. The hot-hitting 31-year-old should be available off the bench Thursday and be back in a starting role this weekend against the Dodgers. Luke Raley is playing first base and batting seventh in Thursday's matinee.