MLB Player News

Cruz (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Cruz has finally been cleared to test things out in a game setting after missing two months with a fractured left hand. The center fielder would ideally be given a handful of rehab contests to knock the rust off, but the Pirates might not have the luxury of taking things slowly as they fight for a playoff spot. Cruz slashed .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 64 games for Pittsburgh before getting hurt.

Benge went 3-for-6 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's win over the Guardians.

The rookie outfielder looks increasingly comfortable in the majors. Benge has hit safely in nine of the last 10 games, batting .351 (13-for-37) over that stretch with two doubles, a triple, two homers, a steal, four RBI and six runs.

Robert went 3-for-6 with two runs scored in Thursday's win over the Guardians.

The veteran center fielder had managed just three total hits in his prior nine games while batting .103 (3-for-29), but he broke out Thursday with his first multi-hit effort since April 18. It's been another injury-plagued campaign for Robert, and over 149 plate appearances he's eked out a .203/.289/.316 slash line with four homers, two steals, 12 RBI and 16 runs.

Pinckney went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Phillies.

Making his first MLB start and second appearance, Pinckney cut the Nats' deficit to 6-2 in the fourth inning with his first big-league hit, a 402-foot blast off Cristopher Sanchez. The 25-year-old outfielder was recalled from Triple-A Rochester after James Wood (oblique) landed on the IL earlier in the week. Pinckney figures to see most of his playing time against left-handed pitching, though he does offer some intriguing upside after slashing .271/.345/.425 with 13 homers and 18 steals in 94 Triple-A games this season.

Harris went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, three runs scored and two RBI in Thursday's win over the Marlins.

The triple was Harris' first of the season, and the center fielder is up to 45 extra-base hits (including 24 doubles and 20 homers) through just 109 games. Over 20 contests since the All-Star break, Harris has delivered a .280/.294/.549 slash line with four long balls, 13 runs and 13 RBI.

Buxton (hip) has yet to resume baseball activities since landing on the 10-day injured list July 29, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports. "It's a little slower than what I expected, but I'm starting to pick it up a little more, do a little more things as far as loading, isometrics and weight training stuff, lifting," Buxton said Thursday. "Hopefully, relay that over to the field over a couple of days."

Buxton hit the IL for the second time in less than a month after suffering an aggravation of a right hip impingement, an injury that had been bothering him since mid-May. He received an unspecified injection last week to treat the injury, and he won't be in line to return from the IL when first eligible this weekend. While Buxton is on the shelf, Luke Keaschall will likely continue to serve as the Twins' everyday center fielder, with Alan Roden holding down the strong side of a platoon in right field.

Dubon went 4-for-4 with a double, a walk, a run, two RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's 11-3 victory versus Miami.

The Marlins were unable to stop Dubon from getting on base, as the utility man recorded his first four-hit performance of the season. He's collected three mutli-hit efforts across his past five games and is batting .529 (9-for-17) while scoring five times and logging three steals over that span. Dubon is getting regular playing time with six starts over Atlanta's past eight contests, and he's already set a career high with 58 RBI through 445 plate appearances.

Acuna went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs and three RBI in an 11-3 win over the Marlins on Thursday.

Acuna's homers weren't exactly moonshots -- one was the result of two Marlins outfielders colliding and knocking the ball over the wall, and the other traveled an estimated 337 feet -- but they counted all the same. It was the second multi-homer game of the season for the star outfielder and the 16th time he's achieved the feat in his career. Acuna is slashing .244/.358/.436 with 11 home runs, 27 RBI, 39 runs and 15 stolen bases through 63 contests on the campaign.

Chourio went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Pirates.

Chourio wasted little time getting Milwaukee on the board, taking Braxton Ashcraft deep in the first inning to open the scoring. The blast was his second homer of the series and his 15th on the season. Chourio has started August on a solid note, batting 7-for-21 (.333) through six games, with his two home runs accounting for all three of his RBI during that stretch.

Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Thursday's 3-2, extra-innings win over the Blue Jays.

A day after going deep twice to get to 26 home runs on the season, Crow-Armstrong swiped his 29th bag of the year. It was a critical steal, too, as he nabbed third base in the bottom of the 11th inning with the game tied 2-2, then came around to score the winning run on a throwing error. The star outfielder is closing in on his second straight 30-30 campaign, and he's currently among the top 10 in the majors in both categories. Crow-Armstrong is on an absolute tear, and if he keeps this up, he could be the Cubs' first MVP winner since Kris Bryant back in 2016.