Player Notes

Seth Smith went 2-for-4 with a homer, two walks and three runs scored versus the Rangers on Monday.
Advice: The A's are hoping Smith's slump is over. His OPS dropped from 1.072 on April 23 to .933 on April 30 to .755 on May 17, but he's now gone 4-for-8 in his last two games. Of course, it was in late April and early May that the A's really needed him. Now that Yoenis Cespedes, Coco Crisp and Chris Young are healthy again, Smith isn't so important to the attack anymore.

Andres Torres went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's win against Washington.
Advice: Prior to the evening, Torres hadn't collected a hit since May 8. The 35-year-old backup outfielder is batting just .247/.282/.346 over 81 at-bats this season.

Ty Wigginton went 0-for-2 with a walk in Monday's loss to the Padres.
Advice: He was also caught stealing. Wigginton doesn't draw many starts, and he doesn't do much with them when he does, slashing .194/.286/.226 with no homers or steals and one RBI through 31 at-bats. St. Louis doesn't often make mistakes, but the two-year, $5 million deal they gifted Wigginton in mid-December certainly qualifies.

Chris Denorfia went 3-for-4 with a steal and an RBI versus the Cardinals on Monday.
Advice: Certainly one of the game's most unheralded players, Denorfia keeps producing no matter which outfield position the Padres may ask him to play on a given night. The 32-year-old is batting .301/.352/.406 with five steals (and no pickoffs), two homers, 14 RBI and 19 runs and 133 at-bats. He's given NL-only owners everything they could have hoped for.

Eric Hinske is batting .188 with a .548 OPS over 34 plate-appearances.
Advice: The Diamondbacks handed Hinske a one-year, $1.35 million contract in December after he batted just .197/.272/.311 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 91 games last season for the Braves. The former Rookie of the Year, now 35, is reaching the end of a respectable 12-year career.

Reserve outfielder Logan Schafer has posted a .455 OPS for the Brewers this season.
Advice: Although Shafer at times looks like a high-schooler at the dish -- slashing .182/.250/.205 -- he's actually registered a positive WAR, due to the three runs he's estimated to have saved in the field, per Baseball Reference. That's good enough to keep a roster spot in the majors, of course, but glove-only subs will have to wait until fantasy baseball evolves to include advanced defensive metrics to have any value even in the deepest of leagues.

James Darnell could need another surgery on his left shoulder after injuring it at Triple-A Tucson on May 14.
Advice: Darnell was hurt following a swing and was in San Diego last week to consult with team doctors. The 26-year-old has already had two operations on the shoulder -- one in 2011 and again in 2012 -- so this is obviously not a good development. Even if a decision is made against surgery, he'll be sidelined for a while.
More: Padres.mlb.com

Justin Maxwell (hand) hit 15 balls off a tee and took 30 soft-tosses on Monday.
Advice: Maxwell is no longer wearing a brace on his fractured left hand and is progressing steadily. He's scheduled to have a routine X-ray on Tuesday to see how the healing is coming along. The outfielder should make a late May/early June return if all goes well.
More: Astros.mlb.com

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Monday that Anthony Gose will not be an everyday player.
Advice: The talented 22-year-old outfielder was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo on Monday morning but isn't likely to hold much value in standard mixed fantasy leagues. Gibbons said Gose will "help out on defense" and as a pinch-runner. He will not make very many starts.
More: Ben Nicholson-Smith on Twitter

Marlon Byrd knocked in all three Mets runs with a homer off Johnny Cueto on Monday.
Advice: Byrd has an ugly 34/6 K/BB ratio in 105 at-bats this season, but his average is a solid .269 and he's driven in 19 runs, which is quite impressive for a guy who has started just 25 games and has often hit behind Ike Davis.

Marlins placed OF Matt Diaz on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 19, with a left knee contusion.
Advice: Diaz should be ready to return to the active roster as soon as he's eligible. The 35-year-old is batting just .167/.211/.222 in 10 games this season with the Marlins.

Sam Fuld is in the Rays' starting lineup on Monday afternoon against the Blue Jays.
Advice: Fuld has played only 11 complete games this year and is hitting just .190/.288/.224 in 67 plate appearances. He will start in left field and bat seventh versus Toronto.
More: Marc Topkin on Twitter