MLB Player News

Villar went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Dodgers.

With one out and one on in the bottom of the eighth, Villar smacked an Evan Phillips offering 403 feet to center field to give the Giants some extra cushion heading into the final inning. The home run ended a relative lull at the dish for Villar, who had reached base at a .409 clip over his prior six games but batted just .188 with one extra-base hit (a double) during that stretch.

Albies went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's win over the Reds.

His fourth-inning blast off Luis Cessa tied the game at 4-4. Albies has hit safely in four straight games but hasn't had a multi-hit performance since Opening Day, and the 26-year-old is slashing .229/.255/.354 to begin the season with two homers, three runs and six RBI. After stealing 20 bags in 2021 but only three in 64 games (on eight attempts) last season, Albies has yet to attempt a steal in 2023.

Torres (hip) is available to play Wednesday versus the Guardians, though he isn't included in the starting lineup, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Torres exited Tuesday's victory early with hip flexor tightness. Oswaldo Cabrera will take over at second base and bat sixth against Cleveland while Torres is expected to be able to pinch hit if needed.

The Twins called up Julien from Triple-A St. Paul ahead of Wednesday's game against the White Sox. He'll start at second base and bat eighth in his MLB debut.

The 23-year-old Julien is one of the organization's top prospects, with his on-base skills and above-average power being his most alluring traits. Though he racked up 53 stolen bases between his 2021 and 2022 minor-league seasons, Julien is lacking in athleticism and likely won't have the green light to run as frequently in the big leagues. He's also limited to playing second base on defense, but he could end up settling into a near-everyday role at the position in the short term with Jorge Polanco (knee) and Royce Lewis (knee) on the injured list and utility man Nick Gordon likely to be needed more frequently in the outfield for the time being while Byron Buxton is limited to designated-hitter duties and while Joey Gallo (intercostal) and Max Kepler (knee) are on the shelf. Julien will retain his most appeal in OBP leagues, but his elevated hard-contact rate could be enough for him to deliver a non-toxic batting average in spite of his high strikeout rate.

Julien was called up from Triple-A St. Paul, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. He's starting at second base and batting eighth in Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Coming off an impressive showing in the World Baseball Classic, Julien has posted a .934 OPS through 29 at-bats at St. Paul. He could get immediate regular playing time with several starters on the injured list. Though he's a top prospect, he may not be in the majors for too long initially with Jorge Polanco and several other injured starters due back soon. Still, he's the kind of player who could get hot and force his way into the everyday lineup.

Kim is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.

Kim will get a breather for just the second time through the Padres' first 13 games, paving the way for Rougned Odor to pick up a start at the keystone. In Tuesday's 4-2 win over New York, Kim went 1-for-3 with his first stolen base of the season.

Hernandez went 0-for-5 in Tuesday's 7-2 loss to the Rays.

Hernandez is one of several members of the Adam Duvall-less Red Sox slumping. He's mired in an 0-for-27 stretch and is batting .083 through 11 games. He has more errors at shortstop (five) than hits (three).

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Red Sox.

He went back-to-back with Yandy Diaz (shoulder) in the fifth inning, accounting for half of the Rays' four homers on the night. Lowe appears to have put last season's back woes firmly behind him, and through nine games to begin 2023 he's batting .321 (9-for-28) with four homers, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored with an 8:8 BB:K.

Arraez went 4-for-5 with a double, a triple, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Tuesday's 8-4 win over the Phillies.

It's the first cycle in Marlins history, with the long ball -- his first of the season -- coming in the seventh inning off Connor Brogdon. Arraez has had a blistering start to his Miami tenure; through 12 games he's batting .537 (22-for-41) with five RBI, six runs and a 6:3 BB:K.

Gorman went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 9-6 win over the Rockies.

Gorman didn't start Tuesday, but he replaced Taylor Motter as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. Two frames later, Gorman put the Cardinals ahead 7-6 with his solo shot. The second baseman has been a bright spot so far, hitting three homers with eight RBI, four runs scored and a pair of doubles over 35 plate appearances. Prior to Tuesday, he'd slumped a bit, going 1-for-10 over his last three contests.