Athletics' Kevin Cron: Back in affiliated ball with Oakland
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Cron signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics on Nov. 8.
Cron, the younger brother of the Rockies' C.J. Cron, spent the past two seasons in Asia. After playing in 2021 with the Hiroshima Carp of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, Cron moved over to Korea in 2022, joining the SSG Landers. Over 67 games with the Landers before being released in July, Cron slashed .222/.255/.420 with 11 home runs in 259 plate appearances. The 29-year-old will likely begin the 2023 campaign with Triple-A Las Vegas or Double-A Midland.
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Kevin Cron: Moves from Japan to Korea
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Cron signed with the SSG Landers of the KBO on Friday, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports.
Cron left MLB for Japan last offseason, though he failed to impress in 42 games for the Hiroshima Carp, hitting just .231/.270/.431 with six homers. He's still on the right side of 30, so it's possible a strong season following another step down the ladder will earn him looks from MLB clubs next winter, but he'll have to hit far better in Korea than he did in Japan if that's to happen.
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Kevin Cron: Headed overseas
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Cron will play the 2021 season in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Cron was released by the Diamondbacks on Friday after struggling over his first two seasons in the majors, and his rights were apparently sold to a club in Japan. While it's unclear what team he'll play for in the NPB, the 27-year-old will attempt to turn things around overseas in 2021.
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Kevin Cron: Cut by Diamondbacks
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Cron was released by the Diamondbacks on Friday.
Cron was on the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster in 2020, but he spent most of the season at the team's alternate training site after failing to record a hit in 17 at-bats. The 27-year-old will seek a new opportunity during the offseason after struggling over a limited sample in the majors over the last two years.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Sent to alternate camp
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Cron was optioned to Arizona's alternate camp site Thursday.
Cron is 0-for-17 with one walk and seven strikeouts on the season, so he'll head to the team's satellite camp for the time being to clear his head and work out some kinks. Andy Young replaces him on the big-league roster.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Heads to bench
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Cron is not starting Wednesday against the Rockies.
Cron will head to the bench for the fourth straight game as Christian Walker gets the start at DH on Wednesday. The 27-year-old is 0-for-17 with a 1:7 BB:K through eight appearances this season.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Sitting Tuesday
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Cron is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rockies.
The 27-year-old started at designated hitter for the fourth time in six games Saturday, but he now finds himself on the bench for the third straight contest. The Diamondbacks continue to utilize a heavy rotation at designated hitter, with nine different players filling the spot. Cron remains hitless through 20 plate appearances this season.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Not in Monday's lineup
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Cron isn't starting Monday against the Rockies.
Cron had started five of the past seven games, but he remains hitless through 17 at-bats this season. Daulton Varsho will serve as the designated hitter Monday.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Starts at DH
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Cron started at designated hitter and went 0-for-3 in Saturday's 5-1 loss to San Francisco.
Cron was called up last week to help address a serious power glut -- Arizona has not homered in 14 of 27 games. That's 52 percent of the schedule without a home run, up from 31 percent in 2019. It's not fair to expect Cron, who is 0-for-11 since his return to the majors, to solve this dilemma. Players like Ketel Marte, Christian Walker and Eduardo Escobar, a trio that combined for 96 home runs in 2019, have just five in 27 games.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Starts Monday
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Cron started at designated hitter and went 0-for-3 in Monday's 4-3 win over Oakland.
The Diamondbacks recalled Cron from the alternate camp Monday, citing a need for his power. There is an opportunity for Cron to be the primary DH, a position that had originally been handed to Jake Lamb. Cron, who hit 44 home runs between Triple-A and the majors last season, is hitless with four strikeouts in seven at-bats in 2020.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Rejoins major-league roster
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Cron was recalled by the Diamondbacks on Monday.
Cron started just one of the first six games of the season after making the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster, but he'll rejoin the team after Andy Young was optioned to alternate camp Monday. The 27-year-old should continue to serve mainly as infield depth while he's on the 28-man roster. However, he's starting Monday's game against the Athletics, batting eighth as the designated hitter.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Optioned to alternate camp
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Cron was optioned to the Diamondbacks' alternate training site Thursday.
Cron made just one start over Arizona's first six games this season and went 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. He'll get the chance to continue developing at the alternate training site after catcher Daulton Varsho was added to the 30-man roster Thursday.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Getting ready for opener
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Cron (hamstring) took multiple at-bats while the Diamondbacks worked out in Anaheim on Tuesday in preparation for Friday's opener in San Diego, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Cron traveled with the team for its two-game exhibition series against the Dodgers, but he did not participate in either game. He will be ready to play in Friday's opener against the Padres. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Cron's teammate and starting first baseman, Christian Walker (groin), will join the team in San Diego, but it's not yet known if Walker will be available to work in the field.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Travels with team
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Cron (hamstring) traveled to Los Angeles on Sunday for the Diamondbacks' two-game exhibition set against the Dodgers, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Cron did not play Sunday and is not expected to play Monday against the Dodgers, but he could see action Tuesday when the Diamonbacks play an intrasquad game in Anaheim. His presence on the trip is a good sign that he'll be ready for the season-opener Friday in San Diego.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Sees live pitching
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Cron (hamstring) took three at-bats Saturday against live pitching but was not allowed to run the bases, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Cron has battled a sore hamstring since Wednesday, which makes his status for Opening Day unclear. Both Cron and Christian Walker (groin) are in the same position entering the final week before the regular season kicks off July 24 in San Diego.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Scheduled to swing Friday
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Cron (hamstring) is expected to swing a bat Friday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
The Diamondbacks have a pair of first baseman dealing with injury. Along with Cron, starter Christian Walker (groin) is hoping to get back into action this weekend. Neither injury sounds serious.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Nursing sore hamstring
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Cron is considered day-to-day with a sore left hamstring, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.
The injury appears minor since the 27-year-old is considered day-to-day, but the specifics of the issue remain unclear. Cron figures to benefit from the implementation of the universal DH this season, though he now has just over a week to move past the hamstring injury before Opening Day.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Joins player pool
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Cron was added to the Diamondbacks' 60-man player pool.
Cron will be among the players the Diamondbacks can call upon in 2020. With the designated hitter coming to the National League, there's a natural landing spot for the right-handed, power-hitting Cron, who is expected to share the role with lefty Jake Lamb.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Could have role with universal DH
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Cron could serve as a designated hitter against left-handers in 2020 if MLB adopts a universal DH rule for all teams, Chris Murray of Nevada Sports Net reports.
In a normal year, Cron likely would have started the season at Triple-A Reno, but the coronavirus pandemic is causing MLB to consider changes that includes National League teams using the DH. Under that scenario, the right-handed hitting Cron could share DH with the left-handed hitting Jake Lamb. Cron bashed 38 home runs at Reno last season and added another six in 71 at-bats for the Diamondbacks.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Cron: Shipped to minors
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Cron was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Thursday, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.
This isn't all too surprising, as Cron is behind both Christian Walker and Jake Lamb on the depth chart at first base. Cron struggled in his big-league debut last season but should get another shot if he continues to show he has nothing left to prove at the highest level of the minors.
