MLB Player News
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Kyle Lewis DH | ARI
Diamondbacks' Kyle Lewis: Starts at DH on Saturday
Lewis served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with two walks in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Angels.
Lewis made his first appearance since being called up from Triple-A Reno on Friday. He opened the season as a lineup regular before an undisclosed illness shelved him for two months. With the Diamondbacks humming along atop the NL West, it's unlikely Lewis will move into a significant role going forward. Lewis and Dominic Fletcher were called up while Corbin Carroll rehabs a shoulder injury, which has not required a stint on the injured list.
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Joey Meneses DH | NYM
Nationals' Joey Meneses: Not in starting nine
Meneses will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Phillies.
Meneses finds himself on the bench for the second time in three games. The only previous time that's happened this season came when he missed a pair of games in mid-May due to paternity leave. It's possible he continues to lose playing time going forward, as his .283/.322/.371 slash line is good for merely an 89 wRC+, a mark which isn't close to good enough for a player who almost exclusively serves as the designated hitter. Corey Dickerson will fill that spot Saturday, with Ildemaro Vargas taking Dickerson's usual spot in left field.
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Jorge Soler DH | LAA
Marlins' Jorge Soler: Clubs 22nd homer
Soler went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's loss to Atlanta.
He took Michael Soroka deep in the third inning, briefly closing the Marlins' deficit to 5-3 in a game they wound up losing 16-4. Soler's production slowed down significantly in the second half of June, and over the last 14 games he slashed just .180/.288/.320. However, the 31-year-old has 22 home runs and 47 RBI through 79 contests on the season, keeping him on pace for his first 40-homer campaign since 2019.
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Andrew McCutchen DH | TEX
Pirates' Andrew McCutchen: Launches homer No. 10
McCutchen went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 8-7 win over the Brewers.
The Pirates' two greybeards carried the offense on the night, as the 36-year-old Cutch and the 37-year-old Carlos Santana combined for six of the team's 11 hits, five of its six extra-base hits and drove in five of Pittsburgh's eight runs. McCutchen closed out June on a massive heater, going 14-for-29 (.483) over a seven-game hitting streak. Friday's long ball off Freddy Peralta was his first since June 14 and his 10th of the season.
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Christopher Morel DH | MIA
Cubs' Christopher Morel: Smashes 14th home run
Morel went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Friday's 10-1 win over Cleveland.
Morel narrowly missed a three-run homer in the fourth, which ended up being a sacrifice fly to left field, but he crushed a no-doubter to center in the sixth, tying him with Patrick Wisdom (wrist) for the team lead with 14 long balls. Since an 0-for-21 stretch, the 24-year-old appears to have found his groove again and is slashing 297/.329/.594 with five home runs, 18 RBI and 12 runs scored over his last 17 games.
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Kyle Lewis DH | ARI
Diamondbacks' Kyle Lewis: Called up Friday
Lewis was called up from Triple-A Reno on Friday, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.
Lewis will return to the majors for the first time since early April after posting a .308/.402/.548 slash line with six homers over 26 games with Reno. The 28-year-old will look to maintain that success in the big leagues, and he'll replace Pavin Smith on the major-league roster after the latter was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
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Jesse Winker DH | NYM
Brewers' Jesse Winker: Not starting Friday
Winker isn't in the Brewers' lineup Friday against the Pirates.
Winker has slowly begun to turn things around, going 4-for-11 with two RBI and a run scored during Milwaukee's last series against the Mets. He'll get a breather for Friday's series opener while Christian Yelich steps in as the Brewers' DH, moving Blake Perkins into left field. Raimel Tapia will start in right while batting ninth.
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Charlie Blackmon RF | COL
Rockies' Charlie Blackmon: In cast for two more weeks
Blackmon (hand) said Friday that he expects to wear a cast for two more weeks, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
Blackmon had indicated a couple weeks ago that he thought he could beat his initial timetable of a late July return, but it now it doesn't sound like that will happen. The veteran suffered a fractured right hand in mid-June.
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Bryce Harper DH | PHI
Phillies' Bryce Harper: Could play first base soon
Phillies manager Rob Thomson suggested Friday that Harper could see action at first base before the All-Star break, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Harper has been limited to DH duties following a swifter than expected return in early May from Tommy John surgery, but he's been getting pregame reps at first base and is about ready to make his defensive debut at the position. The two-time NL MVP has never made a start at first base at any level of pro ball, but if he's able to handle the assignment it will greatly help Thomson's game-to-game lineup construction, and the additional eligibility would be a welcome boost to Harper's fantasy profile.
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J.D. Martinez DH | NYM
Dodgers' J.D. Martinez: Leads offense with four-hit effort
Martinez went 4-for-6 with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 14-3 win over the Rockies.
Martinez led the Dodgers, accounting for four of their 18 hits in the blowout win. The designated hitter's biggest contribution was a two-run blast in the fourth inning to put the visitors in control. He's gone 14-for-46 (.304) over his last 11 games. The 35-year-old is up to a .267/.310/.586 slash line, 19 homers, 55 RBI, 37 runs scored and a stolen base through 64 contests on the year.