MLB Player News

Witt went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, a double and three RBI in Sunday's loss to the Brewers.

Witt doubled home two runs in the third and then capped off his day with a solo blast in the ninth to cut the Brewers' lead to 9-6. It was his third home run of the month and he's now posted back-to-back games with multiple hits. Witt remains the Royals' leadoff hitter despite slashing just .233/.271/.442 with seven homers, 18 RBI, 26 runs and a 9:39 BB:K over 181 plate appearances.

The Angels plan to call up Soto from Double-A Rocket City on Monday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Soto's promotion may come as a bit of a surprise just looking at the numbers, as the 22-year-old was demoted to Double-A after hitting just .157 with Triple-A Salt Lake and he's posted just a .566 OPS since joining Rocket City. However, since he's on the 40-man roster and has the ability to play a few different infield positions, the Angels may view him as an ideal utility option while Anthony Rendon tends to a groin injury. Rendon is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list Monday in a corresponding move.

Diaz (hamstring) went 2-for-4 in Sunday's 11-3 loss to the Rangers.

Diaz missed just over two weeks with a hamstring strain. The first five hitters in the Athletics' lineup went a combined 0-for-19 on Sunday, but Diaz provided some solid batting from the No. 7 spot in the order. The versatile 32-year-old is slashing a meager .169/.237/.225 with one home run, six RBI, seven runs scored, a stolen base and two doubles through 97 plate appearances. Despite his lackluster numbers, he should be able to find fairly steady playing time.

Smith (foot) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics and isn't expected to be available off the bench, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

After Travis Jankowski (hamstring) hit the injured list Tuesday, Smith resurfaced as a regular in the lineup against right-handed pitching, starting in four of the Rangers' past five games. Though Smith went 5-for-10 with three doubles over that stretch of action to build a strong case for continuing to earn ample playing time, he's now day-to-day with an injury of his own. Even if Smith avoids the IL, he could soon find himself on the outs for a regular lineup spot with Corey Seager (hamstring) likely on track to return from the shelf during the upcoming week.

The Athletics optioned Smith to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.

Smith was called up by the A's on April 10 and will head back to the minors after he posted a .184/.205/.316 slash line with three home runs, seven RBI and eight runs in 82 plate appearances. Aledmys Diaz (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move.

The Athletics reinstated Diaz (hamstring) from the injured list Sunday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He'll start at third base and bat seventh in the series finale with the Rangers.

Diaz ended up missing just a few days beyond the 10-day minimum due to a Grade 1 hamstring strain. The Athletics optioned Kevin Smith to Triple-A Las Vegas to clear room on the 26-man active roster for Diaz, who should settle back into a full-time role in the infield.

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

Pena started the first 39 games of the season for Houston, and he'll receive a well-earned breather for Sunday's series finale in Chicago. Mauricio Dubon will shift to shortstop while David Hensley starts at second base.

Volpe went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and a run in Saturday's 9-8 victory versus the Rays.

Volpe struck out three times in the contest, but he also displayed his most dynamic asset in the sixth. The rookie led off that frame with a bunt single, then proceeded to swipe both second and third base before coming home on a wild pitch. Volpe has gone a perfect 13-for-13 on theft attempts this season, and he ranks fifth overall in the league in that category. Strikeouts are a problem -- he has posted a 28.6 percent strikeout rate -- but Volpe has played well enough to maintain his role as New York's everyday shortstop.

Neto went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's loss to Cleveland.

Neto's two-run smash in the top of the eighth inning gave Los Angeles what looked to be a secure 6-2 lead, but the Guardians rallied with six runs in the bottom of the frame to steal a victory. The long ball was the second of the campaign for Neto, though both have come in his past four contests. The rookie is holding his own as the Angels' primary shortstop, slashing .247/.323/.371 with a solid 16.2 percent strikeout rate, though he's drawn just three walks over 99 plate appearances.

Mateo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Mateo started the past five games and will head to the bench after going 1-for-18 during that stretch. The 27-year-old had a 1.062 OPS in his first 24 games of the season, but he's struggled to a .105/.128/.132 slash line through 11 contests in May. Joey Ortiz is taking over at shortstop in Sunday's series finale.