MLB Player News
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Anthony Santander DH | TOR
Blue Jays' Anthony Santander: Weeks away from swinging
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Santander (shoulder) isn't expected to resume swinging a bat for at least a couple more weeks, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Schneider noted that he's hopeful Santander will play again this season, but the 30-year-old clearly hasn't progressed as well as the Blue Jays had hoped since he was placed on the injured list May 30 due to left shoulder inflammation. Even if Santander is cleared to ramp up his hitting progression within the next few weeks, he's still likely to require an extended minor-league rehab assignment after that. With that in mind, a mid-to-late-August return may represent a best-case scenario for Santander, and the uncertainty of his timeline makes him difficult to warrant stashing in most redraft leagues that have limited injured reserve spots.
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Ben Rice DH | NYY
Yankees' Ben Rice: Out against right-hander
Rice is absent from the lineup for Monday's game in Toronto.
Rice had started each of the last four games against right-handed pitching, but he'll begin Monday's contest on the bench as the Blue Jays send righty Kevin Gausman to the hill. The Yankees will go with Paul Goldschmidt at first base, Austin Wells at catcher and Giancarlo Stanton at designated hitter.
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George Springer DH | TOR
Blue Jays' George Springer: Mashes 17th homer
Springer went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Sunday's win over the Giants.
The veteran outfielder has come out flying after the All-Star break, racking up six hits in the three-game set against San Francisco. Springer's fifth-inning long ball off former teammate Robbie Ray was his 17th homer of the season, and through 15 contests in July, he's slashing a blistering .351/.413/.702 with six home runs, three steals, 13 runs and 14 RBI.
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Luke Keaschall 2B | MIN
Twins' Luke Keaschall: Three hits through three rehab games
Keaschall (forearm) served as a designated hitter in three rehab games for Triple-A St. Paul from Friday through Sunday, going 3-for-12 with three walks, two stolen bases, one run and one RBI.
Keaschall took part in his first game action since April 25, when he sustained a fractured right forearm that disrupted what had been an impressive start to his time in the big leagues. The rookie fared well in his return to the field this weekend, but since the Twins still want him to play second base and potentially get exposure to other positions during his time at St. Paul, he's expected to be in store for a lengthier rehab assignment, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Keaschall produced a 1.064 OPS in 26 plate appearances in the majors prior to landing on the injured list, and if he continues to rake during his assignment, the Twins will likely find ways to get his bat in the lineup once he's activated.
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Cody Freeman 3B | TEX
Rangers' Cody Freeman: Makes first MLB start
Freeman started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Tigers.
Freeman had his contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday and made his first MLB start. He's unlucky in that his first start in the show came against Detroit lefty Tarik Skubal (2.19 ERA, 2nd in MLB), but Rangers manager Bruce Bochy typically uses a right-handed batter at third base when facing a southpaw. With Josh Jung back in the minors, the Rangers' hot corner has become a rotation of Josh Smith against righties with Ezequiel Duran and now Freeman against lefties.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Raps three singles Sunday
Stanton went 3-for-5 with a run scored in Sunday's 4-2 victory against Atlanta.
Though none of his knocks went for extra bases, Stanton posted his first three-hit performance of the campaign. The veteran slugger has at least one hit in eight of his past nine games, batting .393 (11-for-28) with three homers, two doubles and nine RBI during that span. While he seems to be heating up, Stanton hasn't been an everyday part of the lineup of late -- he's started just four of New York's past seven contests.
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Masataka Yoshida DH | BOS
Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Makes first outfield start
Yoshida started in left field and went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Cubs.
Yoshida made his first start in the field after a series of appearances as the designated hitter or as a pinch hitter. He was eventually pinch hit for against lefty Drew Pomeranz. Yoshida has gone 6-for-22 (.273) with one RBI, a stolen base and one run scored over seven games since coming off the injured list in the week leading up to the All-Star break.
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David Fry DH | CLE
Guardians' David Fry: Sets career high with four RBI
Fry went 2-for-5 with a double and four RBI in Sunday's 8-2 win over the Athletics.
Fry delivered a career-best four RBI, doing all of his damage against Jeffrey Springs. The 29-year-old drove in a run with a first-inning single before breaking the game open with a bases-clearing double in the fourth. Fry now has six RBI over his last two games, surpassing the total (five) he posted across his first 31 appearances this season. Even with this recent surge, Fry is still batting a lackluster 13-for-76 (.171) with a .587 OPS this season.
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George Springer DH | TOR
Blue Jays' George Springer: Busy on basepaths Friday
Springer went 3-for-4 with a stolen base in Friday's 4-0 win over the Giants.
The veteran outfielder came out of the All-Star break flying after going 0-for-12 over his final four games before the pause in the schedule. Springer had been locked in prior to that, however, and he has seven multi-hit performances in 13 July contests, slashing .347/.407/.673 on the month with five of his 16 homers and three of his 12 steals on the season.
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Yandy Diaz DH | TB
Rays' Yandy Diaz: Racks up season-high four RBI
Diaz went 3-for-4 with a grand slam, two additional runs scored and a walk in Friday's 11-1 win over Baltimore.
Diaz established a season high in RBI on Friday, also tallying his 10th game of the year with at least three hits. The veteran infielder has now logged at least one knock in 10 of his first 13 outings during the month of July, continuing a red-hot stretch at the plate. Since the start of June, Diaz is slashing .362/427/.553 with 14 extra-base hits and 23 RBI over 171 plate appearances.