MLB Player News

Diaz went 1-for-4 with a double and a strikeout Saturday against the Yankees.

Diaz returned from a shoulder injury Friday and has started each of Houston's games at shortstop since. He recorded a double in the ninth inning Saturday but was later thrown out at home trying to score on a single by Yuli Gurriel. Diaz's time as Houston's primary shortstop is likely to be short-lived, as Jeremy Pena (thumb) is expected to return Sunday.

Duran was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.

Duran was recently moved into a platoon role, but he will now return to Triple-A. After a hot start following his call up June 4, the 23-year-old went 1-for-15 over his final four games. With Josh H. Smith back from his shoulder injury and Corey Seager and Marcus Semien holding down their respective positions, there simply wasn't anywhere for him to crack the lineup consistently. Duran will remain a top candidate to get recalled in the coming months.

Lopez was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.

Lopez spent a week on the major-league roster but failed to make any plate appearances during his time with the Blue Jays. He'll head back to Buffalo after Zack Collins was recalled Saturday. Lopez has appeared in 35 games at the Triple-A level this year and has hit .225 with a homer, 14 runs, 14 RBI and four stolen bases.

Mateo went 0-for-2 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, two stolen bases and a run scored in Friday's 4-1 win over the White Sox.

Mateo has gone a poor 3-for-30 over his last 10 games, but he's still found a way to rack up five stolen bases in that span. The shortstop is up to 19 steals in 22 attempts this year. The weak hitting lately has dropped his season slash line to .196/.241/.311 with four home runs, 16 RBI and 20 runs scored in 65 contests overall.

Franco (quadriceps) is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list either Sunday or Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco appeared in his fifth rehab game Friday with Triple-A Durham, and he's rejoining the big-league club Saturday to be evaluated before potentially being activated. The 21-year-old could be back for Sunday's series finale versus Pittsburgh, but the team may opt to take advantage of Monday's scheduled day off and instead give him an extra day before reinstating him ahead of Tuesday's matchup with Milwaukee.

Pena (thumb) will likely be reinstated from the 10-day injured list prior to Sunday's game against the Yankees, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pena was eligible to return from the IL as early as Friday, but the Astros wanted to give him a few extra days to rest prior to returning to game action. Assuming the 24-year-old is activated Sunday, he'll be able to rest during the Astros' scheduled day off Monday to help ease him back into action. Once he's officially activated, Pena will reclaim his role as Houston's primary shortstop after he slashed .277/.333/.471 with nine homers, 27 runs, 27 RBI and six stolen bases to begin the season.

Anderson isn't starting Saturday against the Orioles.

Anderson started in four of the last five games and went 5-for-19 with three runs, a walk and three strikeouts during that time. However, he'll get a breather Saturday while Leury Garcia shifts to shortstop with Lenyn Sosa starting at the keystone.

Baez went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in a 5-1 win against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Baez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and none out in the third inning and crushed a Merrill Kelly curveball 459 feet to left center for his third homer in as many games. The knock extended the 29-year-old's hitting streak to a modest eight games, during which Baez is 12-for-31 with four long balls and two doubles, upping his season line to .216/.258/.378.

Velazquez will sit Friday against the Mariners, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Velazquez remains the Angels' primary shortstop despite the fact that he's hitting just .176/.223/.271 on the year. Tyler Wade will get the start on this occasion.

Pena (thumb) said Friday that he's feeling great, but he won't be activated off the injured list just yet, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Friday is the first day that Pena is eligible to return from the injured list, but despite the fact that he seemingly feels fine, he'll wind up missing at least one more day. The Astros have yet to specify exactly when he'll be back, but it looks as though he should return within the next few days.