MLB Player News

Albies went 3-for-5 with a walk, a double, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Saturday's 14-10 loss to the Cubs.

That's now four straight multihit games for Albies, a stretch during which seven of his 10 hits have gone for extra bases (five doubles and two homers). After popping six home runs in 57 games last year during his big-league debut, he already has five in 14 games to begin 2018, and the only downside to his remarkable power display is the opportunities it's costing him to utilize his speed on the basepaths -- he's only 1-for-2 on steal attempts so far.

Marte went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Friday's 8-7 win over the Dodgers.

Marte's hitting streak now stands at eight games, with the infielder having scored five runs over the past four contests. The Diamondbacks seem to have committed to Marte as their No. 2 hitter, so his run-scoring opportunities should remain plentiful while he slots in directly in front of A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt in most contests.

Garcia went 4-for-6 with two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base for Low-A Hagerstown in Thursday's extra-inning loss to Greensboro.

The shortstop was 0-for-11 through his first four games of the season, but he seems to be acclimating quickly to the level and has gone 8-for-18 since then, although all the hits have been singles. Garcia won't turn 18 for another month, so any success he has at the plate in Low-A is impressive, and while his glove remains his calling card as a prospect, his speed and hit tool still give him some future fantasy appeal in deeper dynasty leagues.

Herrera has appeared in six games for High-A Daytona to begin the 2018 season, including getting a start at the keystone on Opening Day, Chris Boyle of The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

Herrera underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his right shoulder last July, and was hampered by a lingering shoulder issue this spring, which took him out of the running for an Opening Day roster spot with Cincinnati. The 24-year-old reported to Daytona since the High-A level utilizes a designated hitter and Herrera was not feeling 100 percent coming out of camp. It's a positive sign that he's been able to get some work in at second base and he will likely return to Triple-A once he's back to 100 percent.

Marte went 3-for-4 with a double, a pair of runs and an RBI in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Giants.

Marte entered the series finale riding a six-game hit streak, but with no multi-hit efforts mixed into those contests, he had managed just a .240 average during that span. He managed to break out Wednesday, reaching base three times while scoring more than one run in a game for the first time all season. Manager Torey Lovullo appears to have settled on Marte as the club's No. 2 hitter against both right- and left-handers, so more run-scoring opportunities should come so long as he continues to get on base at a respectable clip.

Albies went 3-for-6 with two singles and a solo homer in Wednesday's win over the Nationals.

Albies continues to knock the top off the ball. The 21-year-old is now 15-for-54 (.278) on the season, with four of those hits leaving the yard and another six going for extra bases. He'll look to keep things rolling as the Braves head to Chicago for a three-game series with the Cubs over the weekend.

Urias is hitting .313 with a 3:6 K:BB in five games for Triple-A El Paso.

This is par for the course for Urias, who has walked more than he has struck out in every season as a pro. He has not yet hit an extra-base hit, but that won't stop him from getting a promotion to the majors this summer. He could get on base at a .360 or .370 clip while providing plus defense at second base as a rookie. Urias turns 21 in June.

Albies went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Nationals.

He's only hitting .250 so far, but remarkably nine of Albies' 12 hits have gone for extra bases (five doubles, one triple, three homers), giving him a .583 SLG through 11 games. A three-game series in Coors Field certainly helped boost those numbers, but the 21-year-old flashed a developing power stroke in 2017, and it seems to have carried forward into this season.

Frazier grounded out to shortstop in a pinch-hitting appearance Tuesday.

He's started just one of Pittsburgh's last eight games and has one hit in eight at-bats over that time period. He'll likely need to wait for injuries to strike before seeing regular playing time. With a career .282 batting average, Frazier has the potential to help fantasy teams, but he's simply not seeing enough playing time right now.

Mazzilli was traded to the Yankees from the Mets on Tuesday in exchange for Kendall Coleman.

The swap was very much a low-level one, with neither player seemingly much of an asset. Mazzilli is a 27-year-old who has played just 34 games at the Triple-A level; Coleman is a 2013 11th-round pick who hit .212 in short-season ball last year. If the Yankees' injury crisis deepens, Mazzilli could get called upon, but nothing in his track record suggests he'll be a fantasy asset if that happens. It's more likely that Mazzilli's role will be to fill in at the high minors for other players who get called up as injury replacements.