MLB Player News

Downs isn't starting Wednesday against the Guardians, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Downs went 0-for-11 with eight strikeouts over three games following the All-Star break and will retreat to the bench for a third consecutive matchup. Yolmer Sanchez is starting at the keystone and batting ninth.

Crawford, who went 2-for-4 with a run in a win over the Rangers on Tuesday, has now hit safely in each of the last 18 games during which he's registered a plate appearance.

The impressive streak dates back to June 28 and has seen Crawford produce a .271/.316/.343 slash line with seven RBI, four walks and 12 runs. Crawford has also struck out at just a 6.6 percent rate during that span, which has pushed his season-long figure down to a career-low 13.4 percent.

Smith will sit Wednesday versus the Mariners.

Smith will take a seat after he went 2-for-6 over the first two contests of the series. Ezequiel Duran will start at third base and bat seventh against Seattle.

Martinez (shoulder) was activated from the 7-day injured list at High-A Lake County on Wednesday.

Martinez missed about two weeks of action with a left shoulder strain. He was surging prior to the injury, slashing .348/.412/.652 in his last 11 games. Overall, he's maintained a strong .276/.393/.476 slash line with eight home runs, 22 RBI, 33 runs scored and eight stolen bases in 61 contests, so it's possible the infield prospect eventually gets a look at Double-A Akron before the end of the year.

Pena will sit Wednesday against the Athletics.

Pena will sit after he went 3-for-8 with a solo home run, a double and three runs scored over the first two games of the series. The 24-year-old currently owns a eight-game hit streak, batting .303 with three homers, four RBI and six runs over that stretch. Mauricio Dubon will take over at shortstop and bat seventh in the series finale.

Allen isn't starting Wednesday against the Astros.

Allen went 3-for-16 with a run, an RBI and three strikeouts over his first six games following the All-Star break, but he'll head to the bench for a second consecutive matchup. Tony Kemp is shifting to second base while Chad Pinder serves as the designated hitter.

Velazquez isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Royals, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez has gone 2-for-9 with an RBI, a walk and four strikeouts over four games since the All-Star break, and he'll be out of the lineup for a second consecutive matchup. Luis Rengifo is shifting to shortstop while Michael Stefanic starts at second base.

Witt (hamstring) isn't starting Wednesday against the Angels, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Witt sustained a hamstring injury Sunday and will be out of the lineup for a third consecutive game. He didn't appear off the bench during the last two matchups, but he did some running earlier Wednesday and could be available as a pinch-hitting option, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Nicky Lopez is shifting to shortstop while Emmanuel Rivera starts at third base.

Duran went 1-for-2 with an RBI in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to Seattle.

Duran, who opened the game on the bench after making five consecutive starts, pinch hit for third baseman Josh Smith with lefty reliever Ryan Borucki on the mound. Duran flied out in his first at-bat but gave Texas a brief lead in the top of the ninth inning with a single, giving him hits in all six games since the break. Of the five Rangers to have started at third base in 2022, Duran's the only one who hasn't been subject to the lefty-righty platoon decisions often employed by manager Chris Woodward.

Mateo went 1-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Rays.

Mateo hit an eighth-inning double, stole third and scored on a Trey Mancini sacrifice fly. In his last 11 games, Mateo has gone 13-for-38 (.342) with three steals, a home run, three RBI and seven runs scored. The shortstop is 24-for-28 in stolen base attempts this year while adding seven home runs, 25 RBI, 36 runs scored and a .212/.261/.358 slash line in 90 contests. He's already secured a near-everyday role, but if the increased consistency at the plate sticks, it would make him a more reliable player rather than a pure speed threat in fantasy.