MLB Player News

Duran started at first base and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Saturday's 3-2 win over Pittsburgh.

The utility player is expected to serve as the Rangers' primary option at first base after Jake Burger (oblique) landed on the injured list Saturday. Duran's opportunities have picked up over the last week, as Josh Smith dealt with a hamstring injury and Josh Jung was given a multi-day mental break. Duran's had effective offensive stretches while with the Rangers -- most notably in 2023 when he posted a .767 OPS with 14 home runs and eight steals in 122 games -- but he hasn't gained regular traction in the big-league lineup over the past season and a half.

De La Cruz went 2-for-5 with a triple and a two-run home run in Saturday's loss against the Cardinals.

De La Cruz was thrown out at home in the third inning while attempting to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park homer, but he made up for it with a towering blast in the seventh inning. The switch-hitting shortstop has been scorching hot in June, slashing .313/.413/.688 with 11 extra-base hits and 12 RBI over his last 18 games. He entered the month with a .763 OPS and has raised it to .838.

Perdomo went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Rockies.

Perdomo's fifth-inning long ball provided the Diamondbacks' margin of victory. The shortstop had gone just 2-for-22 (.901) with two walks and four strikeouts over his previous five games. Perdomo hit .309 in May, but he's batting just .183 (13-for-71) in June. He's posted a .260/.355/.414 slash line with eight homers, 51 RBI, 39 runs scored and 11 stolen bases over 75 contests this season.

Lindor went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Saturday's 11-4 win over the Phillies.

Lindor smacked a solo home run in the third inning and narrowly missed another on a two-run double in the sixth. It was a much-needed breakout for the shortstop, who had been mired in an 0-for-18 slump over his previous five games. For the season, he's slashing .267/.340/.463 with 15 homers, 41 RBI, 48 runs scored and 13 steals across 341 plate appearances.

Bichette went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-1 win over the White Sox.

Bichette set the tone early Saturday with a leadoff home run off Aaron Civale. It was Bichette's 11th homer of the season, three of which have come over his last five games. He has slashed .273/.296/.481 with 11 runs scored, four home runs and 14 RBI in 81 plate appearances since the beginning of June.

Volpe went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Saturday's 9-0 win over the Orioles.

The shortstop came into the afternoon having gone 0-for-22 over the prior six games, but Volpe broke out with a big performance that included his ninth homer of the season, as he led off the fifth inning by slicing an Andrew Kittredge fastball just inside the right-field foul pole. On the year, Volpe sports a .236/.308/.424 slash line with eight steals, 33 runs and 41 RBI in 75 games.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that Duran will see the majority of the reps at first base while Jake Burger (oblique) is on the injured list, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Bochy also gave Duran some praise for his recent work at the plate, which is another positive sign for Duran's fantasy outlook. The 26-year-old has just 51 plate appearances this season and has logged a poor .455 OPS, but he has three doubles in his last nine at-bats and will have an opportunity to prove himself in a larger role. Justin Foscue and Josh Smith could occasionally start at first base while Burger is sidelined.

Meidroth is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays.

Meidroth will get the day off Saturday after making three consecutive starts at shortstop. In his place, Vinny Capra will bat ninth and play shortstop.

Culpepper was promoted to Double-A Wichita after hitting .293/.385/.479 with nine home runs and 15 stolen bases in 54 games for High-A Cedar Rapids.

The 21st overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft has shown improved power and speed in his second professional season along with solid walk (19.8 percent) and strikeout (16.6 percent) rates. Culpepper has been developed as a shortstop so far by the Twins, but it's not clear if that will be his eventual defensive home in the majors with Carlos Correa under contract through at least 2028 and Brooks Lee waiting in the wings behind him.

Bichette went 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI during Friday's 7-1 loss to the White Sox.

Bichette has reached base safely in five consecutive contests and has a couple of three-hit games to his name over that time as well. The 27-year-old is 9-for-21 (.429 batting average) with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI during his streak. His run-producing ability out of the leadoff spot has been valuable to the team; he has 43 RBI when hitting at the top of the order this year, second behind only Shohei Ohtani in MLB.