MLB Player News

The Rangers optioned Smith to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

Shortly after the All-Star break, Smith's hold on the everyday third-base job had started to loosen, with the rookie having handled more of a utility role of late. Considering Smith had started in only two of the previous five games and was batting just .206 in August, the Rangers evidently felt the 25-year-old was best off heading back to Triple-A to regain confidence at the dish and play on a more frequent basis. Outfielder Kole Calhoun (heel) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and took over Smith's spot on the 26-man active roster.

Franco was pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham on Sunday after experiencing lingering soreness in his surgically-repaired right wrist while swinging the bat, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After starting the rehab assignment at Durham on Tuesday, Franco appeared in just one game before the Rays opted to have him rest for a few days with the hope that it provide sufficient time for the pain in his wrist to dissipate. However, the four consecutive days off apparently weren't enough to resolve the issue, so Franco will head back to the team's facility in St. Petersburg for further treatment. Since he hasn't played for the big club since July 9, Franco will likely need to head back to a minor-league affiliate for game action at some point before being activated from the 10-day injured list, but it's unclear when he might be able to do that in light of the setback.

Chang went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored Saturday against the Royals.

Chang drew the start at second base with southpaw Kris Bubic on the mound, sending Brandon Lowe to the bench. Chang has started only two of the team's last six games -- both against lefties. So long as the Rays' infield remains relatively healthy, he figures to occupy a limited role. For the season, Chang has a .211/.276/.316 line across 127 plate appearances with three different teams.

Pena went 1-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and two total runs scored in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings loss to Atlanta.

Pena opened the scoring with a solo shot in the fifth inning. He scored as the initial runner in the 10th and added his second RBI of the game on a groundout in the 11th, but Atlanta proved resilient in ultimately picking up the win. The rookie shortstop has gone 10-for-37 (.270) with a homer, four RBI and eight runs scored in his last nine games. For the season, he's slashing .248/.290/.421 with 16 homers, 43 RBI, 52 runs scored and seven stolen bases through 403 plate appearances.

Velazquez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Saturday in a loss to the Tigers.

Velazquez's second-inning solo shot gave the Angels a 2-0 lead, but the team scored only one more run the rest of the game. The homer was his first since June 28 -- a span of 35 games. Velazquez is slashing a paltry .184/.227/.277 this season, so he's a fantasy consideration only for those very desperate for steals, of which he has 13 in 14 attempts.

Smith is not in Saturday's lineup against the Twins.

He is hitting .206 with zero extra-base hits in 13 games this month. Smith and fellow rookie Ezequiel Duran have been splitting the third base duties fairly evenly of late, with the righty-hitting Duran starting against all lefties and some righties.

Rocchio was promoted from Double-A Akron to Triple-A Columbus on Saturday.

Rocchio posted a combined slash line of .275/.352/.456 with 19 home runs, 19 stolen bases, 78 RBI and 96 runs scored through 143 games across two seasons at the Double-A level. The 21-year-old will now be one step away from the majors, though he's likely to spend the rest of this season and much of 2023 at Columbus. He earned the promotion by batting .311 in 40 games since the start of July.

Martinez was promoted to Double-A Akron on Saturday, Guardians Baseball Insider reports.

The Guardians' farm system is stacked, particularly with middle infielders, and Martinez is one of the standouts. He hit .288/.384/.477 with 10 home runs, 10 steals and a 58:40 K:BB in 77 games at High-A and doesn't turn 21 until January.

Witt went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's victory over the Rays.

Witt launched a two-run shot in the third inning that scored MJ Melendez. It was his 16th homer of the year and his first since Aug. 3. After batting .294 in July, the rookie shortstop is batting .215 this month. He has gone 14-for-65 with 13 strikeouts and just two walks. It may be that Witt is just in a funk this month, but it could also be that pitchers have started to figure out the young star and are exploiting a weakness.

Mateo went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's 15-10 win over the Red Sox.

Mateo provided the Orioles' first runs of the game with his second-inning blast off Kutter Crawford. He had a hot start to August, but Mateo's now gone seven games without a multi-hit effort as it appears he's cooled off again. For the season, he's slashing .228/.278/.402 with 12 homers, 39 RBI, 50 runs scored and 27 stolen bases through 111 contests.