MLB Player News

Baez is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Pirates.

Baez is just 2-for-12 on the Cubs' road trip and 0-for-8 over his last two games, so he'll get a breather as Ben Zobrist returns to second base.

Swanson is unlikely to be demoted despite his poor start at the plate, Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "He's a young player," Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer said Monday. "He's very talented. He knows he belongs here. We all know he belongs here. He doesn't have the type of swing that is conducive to slumps. He's just trying a little bit too hard right now, which is normal. Every hitter goes through this. They want to get off to a really good start and when they don't you see them try to start trying a little bit too hard."

The numbers back up the idea that the young shortstop is simply having some really bad luck to begin 2017. Swanson's .173 BABIP is over 200 points below his 2016 mark in the majors, while his hard-hit ball and line-drive percentages are comparable to last year's performance. The 23-year-old may already have been dropped in shallow fantasy leagues by impatient GMs, but the Braves are still confident that hits will begin falling in for Swanson very soon, making him a potentially worthwhile player to stash on your bench if you have room to wait for his production to come around.

Owings went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a stolen base in Monday's 7-6 win over the Padres.

The homer was his second on the season, and Owings has now driven in 13 runs to go with five stolen bases and a .319/.356/.464 slash line. The 25-year-old super-utility player is one of the more underrated fantasy commodities in baseball. He can contribute modestly in the home run and RBI departments while also providing 20-steal speed in deep mixed formats.

Anderson went 3-for-5 with three singles, an RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored in Monday's 12-1 victory over the Royals.

The three-hit performance raised Anderson's average to just .208 on the season, and he has only three extra-base hits in his 74 plate appearances on the young season. The 23-year-old may continue to struggle with the stick as he matures. His only real asset for fantasy owners are his wheels, and his steal Monday was only his second of the year. Anderson has plenty of upside, but he's only useful for his speed right now in deep mixed and AL-only leagues.

Diaz was promoted from Double-A New Hampshire to Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday.

Diaz owns an underwhelming .225/.350/.292 slash line over eight minor-league seasons. The 32-year-old infielder has logged just 55 major-league at-bats since being drafted in 2006 by Toronto, and his window of opportunity to reappear in MLB has all but officially closed. It would take an overwhelming series of injuries for Diaz to get back under the bright lights.

Lindor went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the White Sox.

The shortstop's fourth-inning shot tied him with Jose Ramirez for the team lead in home runs with five. Lindor is off to a powerful start in comparison to previous campaigns. In 2015 and 2016, it took him 165 and 237 plate appearances, respectively, to reach five homers. This year, he got there in just 82 chances. Last season saw Lindor heat up with the weather, so this quick jump out of the gate has given the 23-year-old a head start on putting up big-time numbers in 2017.

Seager went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a pair of walks in Sunday's win over Arizona.

The trip to Chase Field was kind to the slugging shortstop, as he went 5-for-9 with a home run and five RBI in the three-game series with Arizona, boosting his batting average north of .300 in the process. Seager has been as advertised this season, leading all major-league shortstops with 15 RBI through 19 games.

Correa went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run during Sunday's win over Tampa Bay.

It's been an awful start for the shortstop, as he's currently sporting a .197/.286/.295 slash line. However, Correa is locked into the heart of the lineup and posted a respectable .812 OPS during his age-21 campaign, so there is no questioning his talent and fantasy upside. Additionally, the homer probably proves he's completely past the hand contusion that cost him three games earlier this week.

Owings is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.

Owings is off to a very encouraging start to the 2017 season, but he will head to the bench Sunday against Brandon McCarthy and the Dodgers. Nick Ahmed will take over as the starting shortstop in his absence.

Baez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

Baez had picked up starts in the Cubs' last four games, but he'll take a seat in the series finale with Ben Zobrist (back) cleared to return to the field Sunday following a two-game hiatus. Though he doesn't have a clear path to an everyday starting role, Baez's ability to play three infield spots will routinely afford him four or five starts a week, making him a safe lineup option in the majority of fantasy leagues.