MLB Player News

Diaz is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Yankees.

Tyler Wade will start at shortstop and bat eighth for the Athletics. Diaz has been getting more playing time with Kevin Smith (back) still sitting on the injured list, but the 32-year-old holds a weak .206/.264/.278 slash line in 197 plate appearances this season.

Chang (wrist) could resume his minor-league rehab assignment later this week, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Chang was pulled out of action at Triple-A Worcester earlier this month due to renewed soreness in his surgically-repaired left wrist, but he's made significant progress in recent days. Sidelined since late April, he could be an option again on the Red Sox infield before the All-Star break.

Smith, who last started a game June 15, has made nine plate appearances during the month of June.

Smith made 65 plate appearances in April then 47 in May before seeing his opportunities dwindle in June. With shortstop Corey Seager back from injury and Ezequiel Duran taking hold as the primary left fielder, Smith has been limited to an occasional start, a pinch-hit or pinch-run role or an injury fill-in.

Crawford went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and two total runs in Monday's 8-4 win over Washington.

Crawford opened the bottom of the first inning with a leadoff homer to right field and reached base three more times in the contest. He's gone deep twice in three games since returning from a brief hiatus due to a shoulder injury. Crawford has never hit double-digit homers in a season, but he's on pace to do so this year with six long balls through 71 contests.

Neto (oblique) said he's planning to resume baseball activities Friday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Neto will be limited to light throwing at first before he then begins to incorporate a range of other drills. The young shortstop has been brought along slowly in his recovery from a left oblique strain, which sent him to the injured list June 15. There is no exact timetable yet for his return to the Angels' active major-league roster.

Franco went 0-for-3 with a walk and a steal in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Royals.

Franco was still able to provide a positive fantasy performance despite going hitless on the afternoon. He stole his 25th bag of the year, and his activity on the bases has been an added element to his game after he combined for just 10 steals over his first two major league seasons. Franco is putting together a productive year at the plate thus far, but has struggled over the course of June, slashing just .229/.295/.357 with two homers, seven RBI, five runs and a 7:11 BB:K since June 5.

Witt went 1-for-4 with a steal and a run scored in Sunday's loss to the Rays.

Witt singled to lead off the fourth and wound up stealing second before crossing home for the Royals' only run of the afternoon. The 23-year-old is now up to 23 steals on the year and is well on his way of surpassing the 30 steals he had in 150 games as a rookie last season. Witt has displayed some inconsistencies at the plate thus far, but has four hits over his last three games and is now slashing .247/.290/.426 with 12 homers, 38 RBI, 43 runs and a 19:67 BB:K over 334 plate appearances.

Mateo went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Mariners.

Mateo went just 2-for-20 over his previous seven contests since his last steal. His struggles to get on base have minimized his best trait for fantasy managers, which is his ability to run rampant on the basepaths. The shortstop's multi-hit effort lifted his batting average on the year to .224 with 21 thefts, six home runs, 27 RBI and 36 runs scored over 68 contests. Mateo's playing time has already started to slip as the Orioles also try to balance at-bats for Gunnar Henderson and Ramon Urias on the left side of the infield, and that juggling act is set to get trickier with Jordan Westburg coming to the majors Monday.

Velazquez notched a stolen base in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Rockies.

Velazquez ran for David Fletcher and swiped a bag in the eighth inning. With Zach Neto (oblique) on the injured list, Velazquez had a chance to pick up regular playing time at shortstop, but it hasn't come to pass, as Fletcher has started the last two games there. Velazquez remains a solid speed threat with five steals this season, but he's batting just .227 (5-for-22) across nine contests, so he'll have to get his bat going to solidify his place in the lineup.

Velazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

The 28-year-old made seven consecutive starts at shortstop after Zach Neto (oblique) landed on the injured list June 15, but David Fletcher is making his second straight start Sunday after having his contract selected from Triple-A Albuquerque. Fletcher went 4-for-6 with a home run and five RBI in his first big-league game since April on Saturday and might have the upper hand on Velazquez for playing time.