MLB Player News
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Paul DeJong SS | DET
Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Bashes third homer
DeJong went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and a walk in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Cubs.
DeJong drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead in the third inning. That lead didn't hold, but the shortstop put St. Louis ahead for good with a solo shot in the ninth inning, his third homer of the season. He's also racked up five multi-hit efforts in 12 contests, resulting in a .350/.409/.650 slash line with six RBI and six runs scored through 44 plate appearances. He's seeing more than just a short-side platoon role, but the Cardinals' shuffle of Willson Contreras to designated hitter means Nolan Gorman will likely push Tommy Edman to shortstop more often in the coming weeks, which could limit DeJong's playing time if he cools off at the plate.
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Casey Schmitt LF | SF
Giants' Casey Schmitt: Homers in debut
Schmitt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Nationals.
Schmitt's first hit in the majors was a long solo shot in the fourth inning off Washington starter Patrick Corbin. Earlier Tuesday, Schmitt earned his first call-up after slashing .313/.352/.410 with a home run, 22 RBI, 19 runs scored and three stolen bases through 32 contests with Triple-A Sacramento. His surge through the minors last year has bolstered his prospect status, with his power and defense likely to help the Giants as long as he's on the roster. The natural third baseman filled in at shortstop Tuesday, and he can also play some second base, though Thairo Estrada has that position on lock in the majors.
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Dansby Swanson SS | CHC
Cubs' Dansby Swanson: Big game in loss
Swanson went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a two-run home run and three total RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Cardinals.
Swanson entered the contest batting just .235 in eight games this month but was able to get right back on track. The shortstop has only three home runs so far after hitting 52 long balls over the last two seasons, though his .285 average and .800 OPS are up from his marks in 2021 and 2022. Swanson has settled in pretty well with the Cubs so far, and the power will likely come.
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Brandon Crawford SS | STL
Giants' Brandon Crawford: Hoping to return this week
Crawford (calf) said Tuesday that he's hoping to return during the Giants' series in Arizona which begins this Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Crawford ran in the outfield Monday and has also been doing a range of other baseball activities. He was placed on the 10-day injured list May 1 with a right calf strain and the Giants have since promoted prospect Casey Schmitt to help fill the gap at shortstop. Schmitt can also play second base and third base, so he might stick around through Crawford's return.
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Casey Schmitt LF | SF
Giants' Casey Schmitt: Starts at short in MLB debut
Schmitt is starting at shortstop and batting seventh in his MLB debut Tuesday against the Nationals, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Schmitt jumps right into action for the Giants after being called up Tuesday from Triple-A Sacramento, where he was slashing .313/.352/.410 through 145 plate appearances this year. With improving power and a bit of speed -- to go along with a regular role in the absence of Brandon Crawford (calf) -- the 24-year-old might be worth a try in deeper fantasy formats.
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Tommy Edman LF | LAD
Cardinals' Tommy Edman: Not in lineup Tuesday
Edman is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Cubs, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Paul DeJong will play shortstop and bat seventh versus the Cubs and right-hander Jameson Taillon. Nolan Gorman is at second base and hitting third. Willson Contreras will serve as the designated hitter and hit fifth.
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Casey Schmitt LF | SF
Giants' Casey Schmitt: Added to MLB roster
Schmitt had his contract selected from Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday.
Schmitt will get his first close-up with the Giants after delivering a .313/.352/.410 batting line with one home run, 22 RBI, three stolen bases and 19 runs scored through 32 games this season at the Triple-A level. The 24-year-old can play shortstop, third base and second base, offering defensive versatility and a solid bat for San Francisco. He'll likely draw most of his playing time at short as Brandon Crawford nurses a calf strain.
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Casey Schmitt LF | SF
Giants' Casey Schmitt: Promotion likely
The Giants are likely to call up Schmitt from Triple-A Sacramento prior to Tuesday's game versus the Nationals, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Schmitt, 24, has put together a .313/.352/.410 batting line with one home run and three stolen bases in 32 games with Sacramento this season. He's played plenty of shortstop and third base with the River Cats and recently added second-base duties to the mix, as well. Schmitt could see fairly regular action for the Giants while bouncing around the infield.
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Nick Ahmed SS | TEX
Diamondbacks' Nick Ahmed: Snaps hitless slide
Ahmed went 1-for-4 in Monday's 5-2 win over the Marlins.
Ahmed's eighth-inning single snapped an 0-for-20 slide, and he's now hitting .227 after showing some life with the bat early in the season. What began as a job-share at shortstop with Geraldo Perdomo has become more of a classic platoon, with the right-handed hitting Ahmed starting against lefties. That Perdomo is a switch hitter and is raking (1.062 OPS) could lead to a reduction in Ahmed's opportunities going forward.
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Brandon Crawford SS | STL
Giants' Brandon Crawford: Ramping up activities
Crawford (calf) was spotted running in the outfield at Oracle Park on Monday and has started to ramp up baseball activities, Danny Emerman of KNBR 680 San Francisco report.
Crawford was placed on the 10-day injured list May 1 due to a right calf strain, though the Giants quickly noted that it could be a quick trip to the IL for the infielder. Depending on how the injury responds to an uptick in activity, it's possible Crawford could be back in the starting lineup sometime this week.