MLB Player News

Anderson went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two stolen bases and four runs scored Friday against the Pirates.

Anderson snapped out of a short cold stretch, as he tallied his fourth multi-hit game of the season and first since April 1. He also remained aggressive on the basepaths, and his pair of stolen bases Friday brought his total on the campaign to four. Overall, Anderson has also chipped in seven runs scored and four extra-base hits (all doubles) across 36 plate appearances.

Bichette went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead three-run home run and a double in Friday's win over the Angels.

With the Blue Jays trailing in the seventh inning, Bichette took Jimmy Herget deep to give Toronto a 4-3 lead and ultimately a victory. It's the second homer of the season for the shortstop, and he's driven in six runs. After getting off to a slow start in 2022 it's nice to see early success for Bichette, as seen in a .342/.359/.553 slash line over the first eight contests of 2023.

Mateo went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 7-6 win over the Yankees.

Starting at shortstop and batting ninth, Mateo continues to run wild. He's now tied for the big-league lead in steals with five, matching Gleyber Torres and Myles Straw. Mateo is also supplying plenty of early value with his bat too, and the 27-year-old is hitting .350 (7-for-20) with two home runs, five RBI and seven runs through six games.

Witt isn't in the Royals' lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.

After breaking a cold streak by going 2-for-5 with a home run Thursday, Witt will get a day to rest Friday. The young infielder will yield shortstop duties to Nicky Lopez, who will bat seventh.

Smith (face) is back in the Rangers' lineup Friday versus the Cubs.

It's his first start since he had to exit Monday's game against the Orioles when he was hit in the face by a pitch. Smith will play left field and bat ninth versus Marcus Stroman.

Witt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run Thursday against the Blue Jays.

Witt took Trevor Richards yard in the eighth inning to tally his first homer, and extra-base hit of the season. He's had a slow start to the campaign overall, as he has just four hits across 29 plate appearances. Positively, he's struck out only five times in that span, which would be a major improvement on the 21.4 percent strikeout rate he posted as a rookie.

Duran started in left field and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Wednesday's 5-2 win over Baltimore.

Duran made his third start in left field and second consecutive with Josh Smith (face) unavailable. The Rangers love his bat, but Duran is relatively new to the outfield. As such, he was replaced by Travis Jankowski late in the game for defensive purposes. As reported by Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News, both Smith and Leody Taveras (oblique) are making progress in their returns to the lineup, which would limit Duran's opportunities as an outfielder.

Seager went 0-for-4 with a run scored in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Orioles.

A strong spring was a hopeful sign that Seager would have a better second season with the Rangers, but the shortstop hasn't sustained the momentum. He's 5-for-23 (.217) with zero extra-base hits, one RBI, three walks and three runs scored through the first six games while hitting out of the No. 2 hole. Seager has a .316 xBA and .476 xSLG, however, suggesting a turnaround could be on the horizon.

Franco went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk Wednesday against the Nationals.

Franco took Patrick Corbin yard in the third inning to record his second home run of the season. He's gotten off to a hot start in the new campaign, and Wednesday's effort marked his fourth multi-hit performance in six starts. In particular, Franco's power early on has been encouraging as he has five extra-base knocks across 27 plate appearances.

Smith (face) was scheduled to get some cardio in and take pre-game swings Wednesday, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Smith was hit by a pitch in the face Monday and needed six stitches to close a laceration. He hasn't played since but will be re-evaluated following Wednesday's activity. All signs point to him avoiding the injured list. Smith, who had been picking up starts in left field against right-handers, was replaced by Ezequiel Duran the last two games. McFarland also reports Leody Taveras (oblique) is taking swings from both sides of the plate and may be nearing a rehab assignment. Taveras' return should reduce the outfield opportunities both Smith and Duran have seen early in the season.