MLB Player News

Fletcher (hand) is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Guardians.

Fletcher has missed three games in a row due to this hand contusion. He couldn't grip a bat Tuesday, and with there being no fracture, it just comes down to pain tolerance. Luis Rengifo will start at second base while Matt Duffy starts at the hot corner.

Story (heel) is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Yankees.

Story will miss the first of a two-game series against the Yankees after leaving Sunday's game with left heel pain. Christian Arroyo is starting at second base and hitting sixth. Yu Chang was claimed off waivers Monday, but he has not been activated yet, so if Story's injury is serious, he could end up on the injured list as the corresponding move for Chang's activation in the near future.

Bichette went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in Monday's 3-2 win over the Rays.

His two-run blast in the eighth inning off Jason Adam proved to be the game-winning hit. Bichette has been almost unstoppable in September, posting eight multi-hit performances in 11 games while slashing .511/.549/1.128 with six doubles, a triple, seven of his 24 homers on the year and 21 of his 87 RBI.

Seager went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in a 10-6 loss to Miami in the second game of Monday's doubleheader.

Seager, who surpassed his previous career high in home runs Aug. 28, reached the 30-homer mark in the seventh inning. The 28-year-old infielder has battled injuries during his career, but Seager has maintained good health in his first season with the Rangers.

Pena went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base in Monday's 7-0 win over Detroit.

Pena opened the game's scoring with an RBI single before stealing second base and scoring in the first inning. The rookie infielder later reached base three more times and scored another run in the contest. He's now stolen 10 bases in 12 attempts this season while posting a .253/.288/.411 slash line through 117 games. Pena has gone 18-for-53 (.340) with three extra-base hits over his last 12 appearances.

Smith isn't in the lineup for the nightcap of Monday's doubleheader in Miami.

The 24-year-old went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the afternoon game and is an unimpressive 2-for-14 since the beginning of September. Kole Calhoun and Bubba Thompson will man the outfield corners Monday night.

Fletcher (hand) isn't starting Monday against Cleveland.

Fletcher is out of the lineup for a second consecutive game due to a right hand contusion. Luis Rengifo is starting at second base in place of Fletcher, who noted that he's still dealing with some soreness with the hand that provides complications when he grips the bat, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Fletcher is thus unlikely to be available Monday in a pinch-hitting capacity, though because his hand isn't bothering him when he throws, he could be deployed as a late-inning defensive replacement.

Franco is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash confirmed that Franco is on the bench for the series opener for maintenance purposes after the star infielder returned to action over the weekend following a two-month stint on the injured list. Taylor Walls will step in at shortstop for Franco, who went 4-for-11 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs in his first three games back in the Tampa Bay lineup.

The Red Sox claimed Chang off waivers from the Rays on Monday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Before Tampa Bay designated him for assignment over the weekend, Chang's most recent action actually came against the Red Sox on Sept. 6, when he went 2-for-3 with a home run and walk. The righty-hitting infielder slashed .216/.280/.324 through 164 total plate appearances on the season, and he's unlikely to serve as anything more than a short-side platoon player in Boston for the remainder of 2022. Since he doesn't have minor-league options remaining, Boston will need to add him to its 28-man active roster.

The Rangers promoted Saggese to Double-A Frisco on Monday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

With High-A Hickory's season coming to an end over the weekend, Saggese and outfield prospect Evan Carter will receive cups of coffee down the stretch for Frisco, where both players are likely to open the 2023 campaign. Saggese, a 20-year-old infielder, slashed .308/.359/.487 with 14 home runs and 11 stolen bases across 419 plate appearances for Hickory.