MLB Player News

Neto (oblique) played catch and is expected to hit off a tee Monday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Neto is continuing to ramp up his baseball activities, and Bollinger adds that the shortstop could be activated soon after the break if all goes according to plan. He's been on the 10-day injured list since June 15 due to a left oblique strain and will likely head out on a rehab assignment shortly.

Pena (neck) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rangers.

Pena will sit out for a fourth consecutive game while he continues to contend with neck tightness. Mauricio Dubon will fill in at shortstop for Pena and bat second in the series finale in Arlington. According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Pena was spotted fielding grounders prior to Monday's contest, so the 25-year-old is still seemingly being viewed as day-to-day and could avoid a stint on the injured list.

Anderson went 2-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base Sunday against the Athletics.

Anderson tallied his second multi-hit effort in his last four starts, though he's still hitting just .172 across his last 22 games. He's stolen only three bases and scored seven runs in that span, providing little fantasy appeal. Anderson has also still yet to go yard and has an abysmal .036 ISO across 263 plate appearances on the campaign.

Duran is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Astros.

Duran appears to be receiving some routine maintenance for the matinee game after he started in left field or at designated hitter in each of Texas' last 15 contests. With Duran moving to the bench, the Rangers will have a spot open in the lineup at designated hitter for Josh Smith.

Baez went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Sunday's 14-9 win over the Rockies.

Baez made an early impact with his one-out blast off Connor Seabold in the first inning. The homer snapped a 13-game power drought for Baez, who hit just .176 (9-for-51) in that span. He's tracking for a career low in homers over a full season -- he has just six through 79 contests so far. The shortstop is slashing a paltry .223/.258/.331 with 42 RBI, 32 runs scored and six stolen bases this year.

Story (elbow) is scheduled to take live batting practice Tuesday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

The veteran shortstop previously indicated a return in August could be possible, though manager Alex Cora decline to offer any sort of return timeline Sunday. Story's advancement to facing live pitching is encouraging news, but the progression of his throwing program is likely of greater importance given he's returning from internal bracing surgery in his right elbow.

Fletcher will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Following Zach Neto's (oblique) placement on the injured list June 15, Andrew Velazquez received the first look as the Angels' new everyday shortstop, but that role appears to have since fallen to Fletcher. After producing a .742 OPS with six RBI and a run scored since his June 24 call-up from Triple-A Salt Lake, Fletcher will pick up his eighth start at shortstop Sunday in a nine-game stretch.

The Angels recalled Velazquez from Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.

He'll be joining the Halos as a replacement in the infield for Brandon Drury (shoulder), who was placed on the 10-day injured list. Velazquez started seven games with the Angels earlier this season and was a regular in the middle infield in 2022, but he may be ticketed for a utility role during his upcoming stint in the big leagues. Eduardo Escobar, Luis Rengifo and David Fletcher all look to be ahead of Velazquez in the pecking order for playing time at second base and shortstop while Drury and Zach Neto (shoulder) are on the IL.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run Friday to break out of an 0-for-15 slump, and he's on the bench Sunday for the second straight game. Tyler Wade is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in the series finale versus Chicago.

Volpe went 4-for-8 with a triple, three runs and an RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader against St. Louis.

Volpe collected a pair of hits in each contest, and he's now logged five straight multi-hit performances. The rookie shortstop has increased his season batting average from .195 to .220 over that span while striking out just twice over 21 plate appearances. The Yankees have remained committed to giving Volpe near-everyday playing time even during his periods of struggle, and that commitment appears to be paying off given his recent surge.