MLB Player News

Smith went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Royals.

Smith left Tuesday's game with a calf injury but was back in the lineup at third base and leading off Wednesday. He's typically in the starting lineup against right-handers, while Charlie Culberson slots in at third base against lefties.

Baez went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Giants.

Baez's .222 batting average and .642 OPS for the season still don't look great, but he's been dialed in lately. The shortstop is batting .366 over his past 10 games with eight extra-base knocks. Fantasy managers can probably turn the page on Baez's early season struggles and expect solid numbers the rest of the way.

Pena is being evaluated for a concussion following Wednesday's win over the Mets, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pena is dealing with a mouth lateration but is also being examined for a concussion following Wednesday's outfield collision that forced him out of the game. The 24-year-old is traveling back to Houston with the team Wednesday, but it's not yet clear whether he'll be available to begin the Astros' series against the Yankees on Thursday.

Correa isn't in the lineup Wednesday against Cleveland.

Correa is getting a day off after he hit .324 with four homers, a double, seven runs and six RBI over the last nine games. Jorge Polanco is shifting to shortstop while Jose Miranda enters the lineup at first base.

Pena's teammate, Justin Verlander, said that the rookie shortstop exited Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Mets in the eighth inning with a mouth laceration, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dusty Baker declined to discuss the nature of the injuries Pena and Yordan Alvarez sustained in their outfield collision, but Verlander was at least willing to give the media with an update on the former player. Assuming Pena doesn't require any sort of major dental surgery and avoided any further injuries in the collision, he'll have a good chance at being back in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees. Pena, who went 1-for-4 at the plate before his exit, looked as though he was initially going to stay in the game, but he ultimately walked off to the dugout after consulting with team trainers.

Pena was removed from Wednesday's game against the Mets in the eighth inning after he was involved in a collision in the outfield with teammate Yordan Alvarez, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. He went 1-for-4 before departing from the contest.

Both players were shaken up in the incident, but Alvarez appeared to absorb the brunt of the collision. Pena was the first of the two to get up from the field and was able to walk to the dugout under his own power, while the Astros called out a cart for Alvarez. The nature and extent of the injuries to Pena and Alvarez likely won't be announced until after the contest, but both could be in danger of missing time. Mauricio Dubon came off the bench to replace Pena at shortstop.

Story is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Since he's started in every game for Boston dating back to June 10, Story's absence from the lineup may just be maintenance-related. With the Red Sox off the schedule Thursday before returning to action Friday for the start of a three-game series with the Cubs, Story will effectively get two straight days off. Yolmer Sanchez will start at second base in place of Story, who went 2-for-7 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in the first two contests in Toronto.

Smith (calf) is starting Wednesday's game against the Royals.

Smith was removed from Tuesday's win over the Royals due to a right calf contusion, but he'll start at third base and lead off a day later. Over his last six games, he's gone 3-for-15 with three runs, a stolen base, five walks and three strikeouts.

Seager went 2-for-4 with a two-run double and a run in an 8-3 win over the Royals on Tuesday.

Seager helped the Rangers knock opposing starter Jonathan Heasley from the game in the fourth inning by doubling to left center to drive in a pair of baserunners. Although he's a career .290 hitter, Seager is only sporting a .231 average in 281 at-bats this season. At least for the time being, the veteran shortstop appears to have swapped out his tendency to hit for average in exchange for power; he already has 15 homers on the season, putting him well in pace to exceed the career-high 26 he slugged in 2016 if he remains healthy.

Velazquez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 11-4 loss to the White Sox.

Velazquez hasn't posted a multi-hit game in June, but he's hit three of his five homers while batting a paltry .119 (8-for-67) this month. The shortstop continues to play regularly, though he often hits at the bottom of the order. He's batting .175/.220/.280 with 20 RBI, 22 runs scored and 10 stolen bases through 216 plate appearances.