MLB Player News
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Adalberto Mondesi SS | BOS
Royals' Adalberto Mondesi: Expected to see semi-regular work
Royals manager Ned Yost said that Mondesi, who was promoted from Triple-A Omaha on Sunday, would play 3-to-4 times per week, Maria Torres of The Kansas City Star reports.
Yost was reluctant to confirm whether Mondesi would play primarily second base or shortstop during his stay with the big club, but the expectation is that the 22-year-old will see most of his action on the right side of the infield. While the Royals don't view Alcides Escobar as a long-term piece, he's made his last 404 starts at shortstop and seems unlikely to shift from the position so long as he remains a lineup regular. Whit Merrifield, on the other hand, has seen action at first base, center field and right field this season, so he could theoretically move to a different position to create room at the keystone for Mondesi. Merrifield ended up exiting Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Astros with a knee contusion, paving the way for Mondesi to make his 2018 debut. The youngster went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts upon entering the game in the bottom of the second inning.
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Carlos Correa SS | HOU
Astros' Carlos Correa: Drives in three run Sunday
Correa went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a sac fly and three RBI in Sunday's 7-4 win over the Royals.
It was Correa's 13th long ball of the season alongside 47 RBI and a .855 OPS. The 23-year-old shortstop is starting to catch fire. He has four multi-hit efforts in his last six games with eight RBI and three home runs. With an upcoming series against the Rays, Correa and the Astros should get some favorable matchups to start the fantasy week.
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Willy Adames SS | SF
Rays' Willy Adames: Picks up start at second base
Adames will start at second base and bat fifth Sunday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
For the first time in his 10 appearances this season, Adames will share the middle infield with Adeiny Hechavarria, the man the rookie replaced as the Rays' everyday shortstop. According to Topkin, manager Kevin Cash said that Adames will return to shortstop Monday against the Astros, so it appears Hechavarria's entry into the lineup Sunday was strictly intended to keep the veteran fresh. Don't expect Adames to see much further action at second base going forward, thereby hurting his chances of gaining eligibility at the position in most formats.
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Joey Wendle 2B | ATL
Rays' Joey Wendle: Sits versus lefty Sunday
Wendle is out of the lineup Sunday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
As per usual, Wendle will ride the pine with a lefty (CC Sabathia) taking the hill for the opposition. With Wendle on the bench, Willy Adames will move over to the keystone, opening up a start at shortstop for Adeiny Hechavarria, who had transitioned to a bench role after recently returning from the disabled list.
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Ehire Adrianza 3B | LAA
Twins' Ehire Adrianza: Seeing regular starts at shortstop
Adrianza will start at shortstop and bat ninth Sunday against the Indians, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Adrianza's fantasy stock enjoyed a nice boost Thursday when Miguel Sano was optioned to High-A Fort Myers. With the struggling Sano out of the way, Eduardo Escobar has shifted over to third base, opening up shortstop for Adrianza on an everyday basis. While the fact that Adrianza is making his eighth straight start Sunday is reason enough to pick him up in most AL-only settings, the career .240/.305/.357 hitter has enhanced his value with his strong performance at the plate of late. Over 14 June contests, Adrianza is batting .300 with seven extra-base hits, eight runs, seven RBI and a stolen base.
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Rosell Herrera SS | KC
Royals' Rosell Herrera: Called up to Kansas City
The Royals recalled Herrera from Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.
Herrera, whom the Royals acquired in a waiver claim from the Reds earlier this month, will provide some extra versatility to the big club. He has seen action at all three outfield positions and three spots around the diamond between his time in the majors and minors this season, affording him plenty of avenues to playing time if the Royals commit to giving him steady at-bats. The 25-year-old has hit .270/.333/.516 with four home runs and six stolen bases at the Triple-A level in 2018.
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Adalberto Mondesi SS | BOS
Royals' Adalberto Mondesi: Returns to big club
The Royals recalled Mondesi from Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.
Though Mondesi will join the active roster for the first time all season after being placed on the 10-day disabled list out of spring training and then optioned to Triple-A, it doesn't look like he'll be assured an everyday role in the middle infield immediately. Per Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com, Alcides Escobar and Whit Merrifield will serve as the starters in the middle infield Sunday against the Astros, confining Mondesi to the bench for at least one day. However, with Escobar hitting just .209 on the campaign and set to become a free agent this winter, it's difficult to imagine him retaining a full-time role the rest of the season, especially with the Royals removed from the playoff race. With that in mind, Mondesi, who has slashed a disappointing .250/.295/.492 across 133 plate appearances at Omaha, should get an extended look with the big club at some point within the next few months, even if it doesn't happen during this current stint.
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Francisco Lindor SS | NYM
Indians' Francisco Lindor: Slugs 16th homer Saturday
Lindor went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 9-3 loss to the Twins.
The shortstop continues to rake, racking up his fifth multi-hit performance in the last seven games to boost his slash line on the season to .292/.361/.538. Lindor's 16 homers in 68 games puts him snugly on pace to top last year's career-high 33 long balls.
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Carlos Correa SS | HOU
Astros' Carlos Correa: Homers, scores twice in win Friday
Correa went 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored in Friday's win over the Royals.
Correa hit a solo home run -- his 12th of the year -- off starter Jake Junis in the fourth inning. Correa has now recorded a hit in seven consecutive games, three of which have been multi-hit performances. The young shortstop is hitting .275/.362/.496 with 27 extra-base hits. His 44 RBI rank third among MLB shortstops and his 43 runs are tied for fourth at the position.
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Xander Bogaerts SS | SD
Red Sox's Xander Bogaerts: Surpasses 2017 homer total
Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer and a walk in Boston's 7-6 defeat to Seattle on Friday.
The 25-year-old has now eclipsed his home-run total from last season following this third-inning blast off James Paxton, which gives him 11 through 214 at-bats. Bogaerts has complemented the uptick in power with a .280/.342/.514 slash line and is on pace for 25 long balls, which would top the career-high mark of 21 he posted in 2016 if he's able to maintain the pace.