MLB Player News

Bichette went 2-for-5 with a grand slam during Wednesday's 9-5 win against the White Sox.

Bichette singled during the opening frame and was stranded at second base, but he came through with a 388-foot homer with the bases loaded during the fourth inning to put Toronto up 7-0. The long ball is a welcome sight for the 24-year-old, as he entered Wednesday's contest with a .467 OPS in 10 games since hitting his previous home run June 10. Bichette is hitting .260/.306/.427 with 11 home runs, 38 RBI, 39 runs and five stolen bases through 68 games this year.

Baez went 2-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Wednesday's loss to the Red Sox.

Baez wasted no time hitting his sixth home run of the season, taking Michael Wacha deep in the first inning with a runner on. Three of those home runs have come in the past five games, and the shortstop is hitting a robust .450 during this stretch. Baez's overall numbers are still below his usual standards, but it seems like he's finally getting going at the plate.

Downs is starting at third base and batting ninth during Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Downs has played in the middle infield to begin his professional career, but the team apparently feels comfortable enough in his abilities at the hot corner to put him at the position for his major-league debut. The 23-year-old slashed .180/.297/.397 with 11 homers, 35 runs, 21 RBI and 11 stolen bases over 53 games at Triple-A Worcester to begin the year.

Anderson is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Blue Jays.

Anderson will get a breather after he went 4-for-10 with three runs scored in his first two games back following a groin injury. Danny Mendick will take over at shortstop and bat leadoff Wednesday.

Diaz (shoulder) isn't starting Wednesday against the Mets.

Diaz will be out of the lineup for a third consecutive game as he continues to deal with left shoulder soreness. However, he hit in the cage Wednesday and will be available off the bench if needed, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports. Mauricio Dubon will start at shortstop and bat ninth.

Story went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Tigers.

The 29-year-old infielder took Beau Brieske deep in the fourth inning, extending his current hitting streak to five games. Story has run hot and cold all season, and while he may be heating up again now, he's still slashing just .229/.289/.400 through 18 games in June with two of his 11 homers on the season.

Witt went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs, a double, four RBI and a walk in Tuesday's 12-11 extra-innings win over the Angels.

Normally, a two-homer game from a big-name rookie would be the headline, but Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani put on an ever bigger show with a pair of long balls and eight RBI. Nonetheless, this was one of the best games of Witt's young career, and it ended a seven-game homer drought. The 22-year-old rookie is up to 10 homers, 36 RBI, 38 runs scored, 10 stolen bases and 16 doubles through 65 contests while adding a .243/.288/.458 slash line.

Allen went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 8-2 loss to the Mariners.

Allen provided the Athletics' only runs with his seventh-inning blast off Mariners starter Marco Gonzales. It was Allen's first big-league game since May 21, and the homer was his first career blast in the majors. He's still batting just .192 with two RBI and three runs scored through 29 plate appearances. A natural shortstop, Allen could challenge the struggling Elvis Andrus for playing time at that position, or he could see the short side of a platoon with Tony Kemp at second base.

Bichette went 1-for-5 with a run, an RBI, a walk and a stolen base in a 7-6 loss Tuesday against the White Sox.

Bichette gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead with his RBI single in the eighth inning. He served as the automatic runner in the 10th and came around to score. Tuesday marked the fourth consecutive game in which he struck out at least twice. His 24.5 percent strikeout rate is the worst of his career and a contributing factor to his struggles through the first two and a half months of 2022.

Baez went 3-for-5 with a triple, a solo home run and two runs scored in Tuesday's loss to the Red Sox.

It's been a rough first season in Detroit for Baez, who's batting just .209 overall with a .599 OPS. The shortstop has looked better lately, however, as he's now riding a six-game hitting streak. During that time, Baez is batting .375 with six extra-base hits and two stolen bases. Fantasy managers who have stayed patient might be in store for some sustained success from the 29-year-old.