MLB Player News

Casas (ankle) began a hitting and fielding progression Monday, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports.

Casas has been out with an ankle injury since mid-May. The length of his absence means he's likely to be brought along slowly, and he still doesn't have a clear timetable, but it's still encouraging to see him trending in the right direction.

Santana isn't starting Monday's game against Baltimore.

Although Santana was traded from the Royals to the Mariners on Monday, Dylan Moore is starting at first base while Justin Upton serves as the designated hitter during the series opener against the Orioles. It's not yet clear whether Santana will be available to make his team debut off the bench.

Pasquantino, who was just called up by the Royals on Monday, won't be in the lineup right away, as it will be Hunter Dozier who starts at first base against the Rangers.

The Royals presumably didn't call Pasquantino up to keep him on the bench, so he should see his name in the starting lineup soon. The fact that he'll be on the bench here against lefty Martin Perez does raise the possibility that he's merely viewed as a platoon bat for now, though even if that's the case, the Royals don't line up to face a lefty for quite some time, so he should start regularly going forward. Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, fears of a platoon are probably unfounded, as Pasquantino's absence from the lineup has more to do with his late arrival at the stadium after a busy day than the handedness of the opposing pitcher. He's expected to be in the lineup against both righties and lefties on a regular basis.

Pasquantino's contract was selected by the Royals on Monday.

Pasquantino has been crushing the ball for Triple-A Omaha as he waited for his first big-league opportunity, hitting .280/.372/.576 with 18 homers in 69 games while walking more than he struck out. Scouts peg his contact ability as his carrying tool, and his 12.2 percent strikeout rate this season backs that up, but he should have a fair amount of power as well. The Royals shipped Carlos Santana to the Mariners on Monday, so there should be a full-time role available for Pasquantino the rest of the way as long as he hits well enough to keep it.

The Mariners acquired Santana and cash considerations from the Royals on Monday in exchange for right-handed pitchers Wyatt Mills and William Fleming.

Santana had produced a below-average batting line in both 2020 and 2021 and looked to be set for his third straight subpar season this year, but a .357/.478/.554 run thus far in June has dragged his wRC+ up to 104. That's still a pretty uninspiring mark for a first baseman, but he should have a path to at least short-term playing time with Ty France out with a flexor strain. He could still start frequently as a designated hitter once France returns, but he's unlikely to be a particularly interesting fantasy option. The Royals called up top prospect Vinnie Pasquantino to take Santana's place on the roster and step in as Kansas City's everyday first baseman.

Guerrero went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in Sunday's loss to the Brewers.

The 23-year-old appears to have found his form after what, by his standards, was a sluggish start to the season. Guerrero has reached base safely in 15 of his last 16 games, slashing .349/.446/.603 over that stretch with four doubles, four homers, 12 RBI and 14 runs.

Tellez went 2-for-4 with two two-run home runs in Sunday's victory over the Blue Jays.

Tellez sent Christian Yelich home on a first-inning shot, then scored Willy Adames on another homer in the second. They were Tellez's 12th and 13th home runs and his first homers with runners on base since May 20. The two-hit performance raised Tellez's batting average to .248 after he went hitless in his last two games.

Santana went 2-for-3 with a double and a two-RBI single in Sunday's loss to the Athletics.

Santana came to the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and though he was unable to clear the bases, he sent Andrew Benintendi and Nicky Lopez home to tie the game at two. The first baseman is on a three-game hit streak and has eight total hits in his last five games. Santana has raised his batting average from .191 to .216 during that span.

Votto went 2-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in a 10-3 win over the Giants on Sunday.

Votto had come into the game riding a cold stretch, slashing a weak .190/.261/.214 over the past 15 days. The two-double day at the plate gives him 13 doubles on the campaign and lifts his season average to .213. Votto got off to a terrible start this year and is hoping to right the ship in the time that remains. He has never hit below .261 in a full season's worth of at-bats.

Bell went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and two runs scored in a 6-4 win over the Rangers on Sunday.

The three-hit performance lifted Bell's average to .308 on the season, and the first baseman now has 46 RBI and 40 runs scored. He has shown dramatically improved contact skills in the first half of 2022, and his average on the season is 47 points higher than his season-long number in 2021. Bell's power numbers don't rival the best corner infielders in the game, but an average over .300 while hitting between the likes of Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz will bode well for his counting stats.