MLB Player News

Neto had his contract selected by the Angels on Saturday.

Neto will replace David Fletcher, who has been optioned out to Triple-A after a brutal start to the 2023 season. Neto entered the year as a consensus top-100 prospect and was slashing .444/.559/.815 with three home runs and three stolen bases through seven games at Double-A Rocket City. He will start at shortstop and bat eighth in his MLB debut Saturday afternoon against the Red Sox. It appears that the 22-year-old is going to get regular playing time in the Angels' infield as he makes the jump all the way to the majors. He was the 13th overall pick in the 2022 first-year player draft and is the first player from that class to reach the big leagues.

Fletcher was optioned Saturday to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Fletcher is in the middle of a five-year extension and earning $6 million this season, but the Angels will try to get him right on the farm after he went just 2-for-16 (.125) out of the gate this year. Zach Neto has been called up all the way from Double-A Rocket City in a corresponding move.

Bichette went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Friday's win over Tampa Bay.

It took a perfect night from the shortstop to end the Rays' perfect start to the season. Bichette has had a pretty great start to 2023 himself, collecting multiple hits in five of the last eight games and slashing .391/.418/.641 through 67 plate appearances with four doubles, four homers, 10 RBI and 11 runs. The only blemish on his line is that Bichette has yet to successfully steal a base after swiping 38 in 47 attempts over the last two seasons.

Baez went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two RBI and a run scored in Friday's extra-innings win over the Giants.

Baez was benched in the third inning of Thursday's game after a baserunning blunder got him doubled off second base, but he was back in the lineup Friday and played well. The shortstop is still batting only .159 this season, which is a huge disappointment given his contract. Baez is a streaky performer, however, and Friday's effort could get him going.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Mets on Friday.

The veteran infielder uncorked a 383-foot shot to left field in the fifth inning for his first round-tripper in an Athletics uniform. The multi-hit effort was only the second of the season for Diaz, who'd been mired in a 1-for-18 funk over the previous five games and had recorded just one extra-base hit in his first 12 contests.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Friday that Story (elbow) has begun playing catch, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

The manager could not put a strict timetable on Story's return, but it's reasonable to expect him to be playing at some point following the All-Star break. Story underwent a procedure in January, which was described as an internal bracing of the right ulnar collateral ligament.

Smith started at shortstop and went 0-for-4 with a sacrifice bunt in Friday's 6-2 win over the Astros.

Smith started once again for the injured Corey Seager (hamstring), slotting in at second in the order. That was Seager's spot in the order, and it appears Texas manager Bruce Bochy wants to limit disruption to the normal batting order. Smith is not expected to replace Seager's production, but he does handle the bat well, as evidenced by his fifth-inning bunt that moved runners and set up Nathaniel Lowe's two-run single. With Houston scheduled to start another righty Saturday, Smith should make a third straight start. The righty-hitting Ezequiel Duran could start at shortstop Sunday, when Astros lefty Framber Valdez is projected to start, the Rangers' first game against a southpaw since Seager's injury.

Witt went 3-for-4 in Friday's 10-3 loss to Atlanta.

Witt's slow start to the season is quickly becoming a fading memory, as he's gone 9-for-17 (.529) over his last four games. While he didn't directly generate any run-scoring plays, it's good to see the shortstop swinging the bat well. He's up to a .269/.321/.423 slash line with two home runs, five stolen bases, six RBI and six runs scored through 14 contests.

Volpe went 1-for-3 with a walk, two strikeouts and the first home run of his big-league career Friday against the Twins.

It was a 394-foot solo shot with a 99.8 mph exit velocity. Volpe's strikeout rate is now 34 percent on the year, but at least his 12.8 percent walk rate is strong and he's providing solid defense at shortstop. He has hit leadoff in two of the three games since DJ LeMahieu (quad) has been sidelined, but LeMahieu is expected back Saturday.

Allen was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday.

After starting just 1-for-16 at the plate through his first eight games, Allen will return to the minors to right himself. The 24-year-old shortstop slashed .266/.371/.358 over 206 plate appearances in Triple-A last season. Tyler Wade was selected from Las Vegas on Friday in a corresponding move.