MLB Player News

Reyes started in right field and went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in an 11-4 win over Atlanta on Monday.

After getting off to a slow start to his major-league career, Reyes has now delivered five homers and a .289 average while starting 11 of the Padres' last 14 games. The Friars will have a tough decision to make regarding a couple of their talented young outfielders once Wil Myers (oblique) and Franchy Cordero (forearm) return, with Reyes being one of the players who could see his role reduced. Until then, the slugging outfielder is doing enough to provide fantasy value, and his owners shouldn't make any rash decisions until this situation plays itself out.

McCutchen went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Monday's win over Arizona.

Zack Godley made a mistake in location with his sinker in the fourth inning, and McCutchen made him pay by depositing the ball into the left field bleachers at AT&T Park. The 31-year-old has now homered in consecutive games after going 36 games between his previous two long balls. McCutchen's power was expected to take a hit based on the cavernous dimensions of his new home park, and it certainly has when you consider he has hit just five home runs through 247 plate appearances. What wasn't expected was his drop in batting average (.246), and his .309 BABIP indicates that he isn't necessarily getting unlucky. Fortunately for McCutchen's fantasy owners, the outfielder's batted ball metrics show that he is actually stroking the ball with more authority than he has for most of his illustrious career (47.8 percent hard-hit rate in 2018 compared to 37.3 percent for his career), which could lead to increased power numbers as we enter the warmer summer months.

Jimenez was named the Southern League Player of the Month for May, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Jimenez led the circuit in OPS (1.082), hits (40), extra-base hits (18) and slugging (.664) for Double-A Birmingham in May. He was also tied for third in home runs (six) and second in RBI (25). The White Sox's top prospect is currently riding a 13-game hitting streak and owns the league's longest streak of the season (15). The 21-year-old, who's expected to reach Chicago at some point this season, is confident he can hit in the majors now, but with only 60 games of experience at Double-A, the White Sox may take the conventional approach and give him exposure to Triple-A before he lands in the Windy City.

Cabrera went a combined 2-for-8 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored across both games of Monday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Cabrera returned to the lineup on Friday after missing 27 games with a hamstring issue, so it's a good sign to see him healthy enough to play both games Monday. The Tigers did exercise some caution by having the 35-year-old DH in Game 1, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Cabrera rotate frequently between first base and DH the rest of the way to keep his hamstring fresh. However, his first base eligibility is likely set in most leagues, and fantasy owners just want to see his bat in Detroit's lineup as often as possible.

Ohtani is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Royals.

Ohtani is just 4-for-28 (.143) against left-handed pitchers this season, so it does not come as a major surprise he is being held out against Royals southpaw Danny Duffy. Ohtani could pinch hit Monday if need be, but he is scheduled to start on the mound Wednesday and has not hit the day before he pitches all season, so don't expect to see his name listed in the Angels' batting order until Friday.

Miller went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk in Sunday's loss to the Mariners.

Miller ultimately was responsible for the Rays' only run of the afternoon, as he opened the scoring with a two-bagger to deep right in the fourth that plated Daniel Robertson. A recent bump down to sixth in the order may put a dent in Miller's fantasy prospects, but the veteran infielder could certainly help his cause if he could rediscover some of the pop that led to his 30-homer tally back in 2016, his first season in Tampa.

McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run Sunday against the Phillies.

McCutchen drove a curveball up in the zone from Jake Arrieta to the opposite field in the sixth inning for his fourth home run of the season. The shot was McCutchen's first since April 20, though he has started to show signs of hitting for power with four extra-base hits in his past 10 games. He got off to a similarly slow start last season before going on a hot stretch in June. This gives hope that his performance will turn around at some point this season, but to this point, McCutchen's performance has been a significant disappointment.

Martinez exited Sunday's game against the Astros early with back spasms, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Upon leaving the game, Martinez was shown pointing to his back while talking to the team trainer. It was later revealed that he was suffering from back spasms, although manager Alex Cora stated he doesn't believe it's a big issue, and Martinez is expected to play Tuesday. He was lifted and replaced by Sam Travis, who hit a two-RBI single in the ninth inning.

Ozuna went 1-for-3 with a grand slam Sunday against the Pirates.

Ozuna came to the plate with the bases full in the first inning and deposited a hanging offspeed pitch into the left field seats. It was his fifth home run of the season and second in as many games. He has now recorded a hit in seven of his past eight games and has gone 11-for-28 in that span.

Miller will start at first base and bat sixth Sunday against the Mariners, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

After Denard Span was dealt to Seattle on May 25, Miller received the first crack at replacing him as the Rays' leadoff man against right-handed pitching. He lasted just four games in that role, however, going 4-for-17 at the dish during those contests before manager Kevin Cash turned to the speedy Mallex Smith as the club's table setter. Miller's fantasy prospects will likely take a hit if he fails to escape the bottom half of the Tampa Bay lineup, but his .236/.303/.399 season line had already kept his ownership limited anyway.