• Twins option Edouard Julien to Triple-A St. Paul
    Twins optioned INF Edouard Julien to Triple-A St. Paul.

    Advice: As anticipated, the 25-year-old infielder is sent out to make room on the active roster for the return of Royce Lewis on Tuesday. Julien had been mired in quite the slump — slashing just .169/.274/.181 with zero homers, five RBI and a 36/12 K/BB ratio over 95 plate appearances over his last 32 games dating back to April 28. Hopefully playing every day at the Triple-A level is enough to cure what ails him. We haven’t seen the last of Julien in the big leagues this season. Rotoworld Today, 6:14 am
  • Will play against lefties
    Westbrook is expected to start at second base against lefties, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

    Advice: The Red Sox placed a pair of infielders on the injured list Sunday -- Vaughn Grissom and Romy Gonzalez each hit the IL with hamstring injuries. That opens a path to playing time for Westbrook (against lefties) and Enmanuel Valdez (righties). Westbrook, 28, made his MLB debut Sunday as a pinch hitter -- he walked for Wilyer Abreu. After a day off Monday, Boston resumes its scheduled Tuesday against Atlanta, which is scheduled to throw left-hander Max Fried. Rotowire.com Today, 6:09 am
  • Will be primary second baseman
    Valdez started at second base and went 1-for-5 with an RBI in Sunday's 8-4 extra-inning loss to Detroit.

    Advice: After serving as Boston's designated hitter Saturday, Valdez made a second consecutive start Sunday. He's expected to serve as the primary second baseman against right-handers while Vaughn Grissom (hamstring) and Romy Gonzalez (hamstring) are on the 10-day injured list, per Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe. Valdez will share the position with Jamie Westbrook, who should get the majority of the starts against left-handed pitching. Rotowire.com Today, 6:03 am
  • Josh Lowe (oblique) likely to rejoin Rays Tuesday
    Josh Lowe (oblique) is expected to rejoin the Rays for Tuesday’s series opener against the Marlins in Miami.

    Advice: The dynamic 26-year-old outfielder played three games with Triple-A Durham over the weekend and Rays’ skipper Kevin Cash was “very encouraged” by how he looked. Lowe has been sidelined since May 23 due to a right oblique strain. Before he was shelved, he had been hitting .240/.296/.440 with a pair of homers and three RBI in his first 50 at-bats on the season. Rotoworld Today, 5:39 am
     
  • Runs streak to seven games
    Fraley went 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Cubs.

    Advice: Fraley's double triggered a four-run second inning, putting the Reds on a path to win. He's hit in seven straight games, going 10-for-26 (.385) with two steals, two doubles, one RBI and three runs scored during the streak. While many of his teammates have slumped early in the season -- the Reds' .220 average ranks 29th in MLB -- Fraley leads the club at .295. Rotowire.com Today, 5:32 am
  • Launches first homer
    Friedl went 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Cubs.

    Advice: Friedl provided all the Reds would need in the second inning when he bopped a two-out, three-run home run to give Cincinnati a 4-0 lead. It was the first home run of the season for Friedl, who is coming back from a second stint on the injured list and played just 10 games. As he gets more plate appearances -- just 43 so far -- Friedl's timing should get better and improve on his .167 average. Rotowire.com Today, 5:25 am
     
  • Homers in return
    Gurriel went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Mets.

    Advice: Gurriel, who was scratched from Saturday's game, made an immediate impact in his return to the starting lineup. He and Ketel Marte put Arizona up early with solo homers in the first inning. The home run was Gurriel's seventh of the season and first in 11 games. He's slumped since the end of April, batting just .182 with two home runs and 10 RBI over the last 32 games. Rotowire.com Today, 5:10 am
  • Swipes fourth bag
    Meyers went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base Sunday against the Twins.

    Advice: Meyers started his 17th consecutive game in center field and hit fifth Sunday -- matching his highest spot in the order of the season. He's gone 19-for-61 in that span, also tallying three homers, eight runs scored 10 RBI and two stolen bases. Meyers is on the field primarily due to his defensive play, though he's benefitted at the plate from cutting his strikeout rate to 18.7 percent in 155 plate appearances. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 10:11 pm
     
  • Consecutive starts behind plate
    Caratini went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Sunday against the Twins.

    Advice: Caratini drew consecutive starts behind the plate for the first time this season and has now started three of Houston's last four games. He has only two hits in that span, though both have left the yard. It's unlikely that Caratini's playing time outlook will change in the long term, though Yainer Diaz hit just .200/.213/.259 across 88 plate appearances in May. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 10:06 pm