MLB Player News

Baez was removed from Thursday's game in the third inning after a baserunning error, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Baez was seemingly in for a positive performance, as he tallied his first extra-base hit of the season with a double in the second inning. However, he was doubled up on a routine flyball one batter later, after it appeared he forgot that there was only one out in the frame. He was subsequently pulled from the game, with Jonathan Schoop entering to play third base while Nick Maton shifted from the hot corner to shortstop.

Correa (back) is in the Twins' lineup for Thursday's game versus the Yankees.

He missed the past three games with a back issue but is back at shortstop and batting second Thursday. Correa is off to a rough 6-for-33 start at the plate this season and is still in search of his first home run.

Smith started at shortstop and went 0-for-3 in Wednesday's 10-1 loss to the Royals.

Smith filled in for the injured Corey Seager (hamstring), who is expected to miss at least four weeks. For now, Texas manager Bruce Bochy will keep Marcus Semien, who has played shortstop, at second base and fill the large hole Seager leaves with the lefty-hitting Smith and righty-hitting Ezequiel Duran.

Witt went 3-for-5 with a triple, a run, an RBI and three stolen bases in a 10-1 victory versus Texas on Wednesday.

Witt singled and stole first base in the first inning, setting the tone for a fruitful evening for his fantasy managers. He knocked in a run with a triple his next time up, then singled and swiped both second and third base before scoring in the seventh frame. With his effort on the basepaths, the speedy young shortstop more than doubled his stolen-base total -- which jumped from two to five -- on the campaign. Witt started off slowly this season but is starting to pick up the pace, going 6-for-13 with three runs, two RBI and four thefts over his past three contests.

Franco went 3-for-5 with three doubles, a stolen base and two runs scored in Wednesday's victory over the Red Sox.

Franco continued his hot start, hitting three doubles and swiping his third base this year. The 22-year-old shortstop has now hit safely in 10 of the first 12 games of the season and is slashing .340/.377/.720 through 50 at-bats. While it's unlikely he'll maintain this torrid pace, at least early on this appears to have the makings of a breakout season.

Smith will start at shortstop and bat second in Wednesday's game against Royals.

With Corey Seager landing on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a hamstring strain that is expected to keep him out for at least four weeks, Smith will get the first chance to replace him at shortstop and at his usual spot in the batting order. Manager Bruce Bochy suggested after Tuesday's 8-5 win over Kansas City that he's inclined to keep Marcus Semien at second base while Seager is sidelined, so Smith looks like he could end up seeing most of his playing time at shortstop for the foreseeable future after previously making five starts in left field and one at third base this season. Ezequiel Duran is also expected to factor into the mix at shortstop and could end up filling the short side of a platoon at the position with the lefty-hitting Smith.

The Rangers placed Seager on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. The injury will keep Seager out for a minimum of four weeks.

Seager suffered the injury in Tuesday's 8-5 win over the Royals in the bottom of the fifth inning while he was running to second base on an opposite-field double. The four-week timeline likely represents a re-evaluation point for Seager, who could need time beyond that to regain his timing at the plate even if he's cleared to resume baseball activities at that time. While Seager is away, Josh Smith should see starts at shortstop, but the Rangers could look externally or even have Marcus Semien shift over from second base to pick up playing time at the position.

Chang is starting at second base and batting eighth for the Red Sox in Wednesday's game in Tampa Bay.

He's filling in for Christian Arroyo, who is getting a day off. Chang is still looking for his first hit of the season, as he's 0-for-6 with four strikeouts.

Bichette went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Tigers.

The Blue Jays put on a fireworks display in their home opener, clubbing five homers in total, and Bichette's contribution came in the eighth inning off Mason Englert. The shortstop has hit safely in five straight games, homering in three of them, and on the season Bichette is slashing .353/.389/.627 with two doubles, four long balls, nine RBI and 10 runs in 11 contests.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that prior to Wednesday's game against the White Sox that he expects Correa (back) to be back in the lineup for Thursday's series opener with the Yankees, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Baldelli noted that Correa was able to go through a workout Tuesday and will go through an "intense" day in the batting cage Wednesday as a final test. The shortstop is out of the lineup Wednesday for the third day in a row while he contends with middle-back spasms. While fantasy managers have a right to be concerned about Correa missing games in the early part of the season, Minnesota seems to be acting extra careful with the 29-year-old.