MLB Player News

Story (heel) isn't starting Friday against the Royals, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The Red Sox hoped that Story would return to action Friday, but he'll remain out of the lineup for a third consecutive game. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available off the bench if needed, but Christian Arroyo will start at the keystone and bat seventh.

Diaz went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk Thursday against the Athletics.

Diaz entered the lineup with Jose Altuve getting a day of rest, though he doesn't project to have a consistent spot in the lineup for the final few weeks of the season. Nevertheless, Diaz provided the game-winning runs Thursday by hitting his 11th home run of the campaign in the seventh frame. He has drawn two starts since being activated from the injured list Sep. 13, and he's gone 3-for-7 in that limited sample. For the campaign, Diaz has a .256/.306/.419 slash line across 278 plate appearances.

Correa went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in Thursday's 3-2 win over Kansas City.

Correa gave Minnesota an early lead with a solo shot off Daniel Lynch in the first inning. He walked twice in his final three plate appearances and has reached base multiple times in six of his past eight contests. Over that stretch, Correa is batting a robust .469 with five home runs and 11 RBI.

Mateo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over Washington.

Mateo took a first-pitch slider from reliever Mason Thompson over the fence to left for his 13th homer on the season. It was Mateo's first in 20 games dating back to Aug. 20, a period in which he was slashing a meager .188/.221/.297 line through 68 plate appearances entering Wednesday. The 27-year-old's .222 average on the season has been tough to stomach, but with 13 long balls to go along with 30 stolen bases, he has still proven valuable in category leagues.

Baez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Astros.

Baez was the only Detroit player with multiple hits and obviously the only one to score or drive anyone in on his 13th home run of the year in the seventh inning. The shortstop has had a disappointing first season with the Tigers overall, though he's been better this month with a .320 average, two home runs and nine RBI across 13 games. Baez will likely come at a discount in 2023 fantasy drafts, but his track record suggests he's capable of bouncing back.

Story (heel), who isn't starting Wednesday against the Yankees, will likely return Friday against Kansas City, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Story is sidelined for a second consecutive game due to left heel pain Wednesday, but it seems likely that he'll be back in action following Boston's scheduled off day Thursday. The 29-year-old has been relatively productive since the start of September, slashing .286/.342/.486 with a home run, four doubles, eight RBI, two runs and a stolen base over nine games.

Smith isn't starting Wednesday against the Athletics.

Smith has gone 0-for-11 with three strikeouts over his last three games and will be on the bench for the second time in the last three matchups. Nick Solak is starting in left field and batting eighth Wednesday.

Story (heel) isn't starting Wednesday against the Yankees, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Story left Sunday's game due to left heel pain, and manager Alex Cora was optimistic that the infielder would be able to return to action Wednesday. However, the 29-year-old will remain out of the lineup for a second consecutive game while Enrique Hernandez starts at the keystone and bats eighth.

Allen went 1-for-4 with an RBI double and a run in a loss to the Rangers on Tuesday.

The rookie's fourth-inning two-bagger brought home Jonah Bride for Allen's first RBI since Aug. 30. The shortstop has shown some modest signs of life at the plate over the last three games, recording a hit in each while scoring twice overall. However, Allen remains mostly overmatched by big-league arms, as he's still carrying just a .205 average and .541 OPS across 81 games.

Velazquez was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right meniscus tear.

Velazquez sustained the injury in Tuesday's game against the Guardians and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after receiving the diagnosis. The 28-year-old played in a career-high 125 games in 2022 and slashed .196/.236/.304 with nine homers, 37 runs, 28 RBI and 17 stolen bases. Velazquez will soon undergo surgery and is facing a recovery timetable of approximately 6-to-8 weeks, so he should be back to full strength for spring training.