MLB Player News

Baez went 1-for-4 with a walk, two stolen bases and a run scored in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Guardians.

The pair of steals were a welcome sight for fantasy managers, but Baez has still remained a colossal disappointment in his first season in Detroit. Excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Baez's .648 OPS is his lowest mark since he became a full-time MLB regular in 2016. Even his stolen-base output hasn't met expectations, as his seven steals thus far in 2022 put him well behind pace from matching the 18 steals he notched in 2021 between stops with the Cubs and Mets.

Pena (neck) went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox.

Pena missed one game due to neck stiffness, and he was kept quiet in his return to the lineup. He's hitting just .208 (11-for-53) with 12 strikeouts through 14 contests in August. That slump has dropped his season slash line to .249/.289/.419 through 94 games.

Manager Dusty Baker said after Tuesday's loss to the White Sox that Diaz is "probably not available" for the rest of the Astros' current road trip, which runs through Sunday in Atlanta, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The utility man could be headed to the injured list if Baker is right, though Diaz himself hopes it's just tightness and that he'll feel better Wednesday. The 32-year-old at least seems likely to be unavailable for the remaining two games in Chicago.

Witt went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 9-0 loss to the Twins.

Witt singled and stole second in the fourth inning. He was one of two Royals runners to reach third base, but he was left on base. The rookie has been held without a hit in five of his last nine games, going 6-for-33 (.182) in that span. The slight slump has him down to a .251/.293/.430 slash line with 23 steals in 27 attempts, 15 home runs, 57 RBI and 57 runs scored through 443 plate appearances.

Franco (wrist) was removed from his rehab game with Triple-A Durham on Tuesday due to general soreness in his right hand, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It was the first game of Franco's rehab assignment, so it's an ominous sign he was unable to finish the contest. It may not be a serious issue as the 21-year-old could be back in the lineup for Durham on Wednesday, but it's worth keeping an eye on his status over the next couple days.

Diaz was removed from Tuesday's game against the White Sox due to left groin discomfort, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Diaz went 0-for-2 before exiting Tuesday's contest during the fourth inning. The 32-year-old has been playing more outfield with Michael Brantley (shoulder) sidelined, and he suffered the injury while making a catch in left field. Chas McCormick is likely to see increased playing time if Diaz is forced to miss any time.

Chang will start at second base and bat eighth in Tuesday's game against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Chang will be making his fifth start in six games, but most of his opportunities came while Brandon Lowe was tending to a sore shoulder. The lefty-hitting Lowe was back in the lineup for Monday's 4-0 win, but he'll retreat to the bench Tuesday with the Yankees bringing southpaw Nestor Cortes to the hill. The righty-hitting Chang will most likely fill a short-side platoon role moving forward.

Fletcher (foot) is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff Tuesday against the Mariners, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The 28-year-old exited Monday's contest after fouling a ball off his left foot and suffering a contusion, but it doesn't appear to be a significant concern since he's back in action a day later. Fletcher has a .358/.382/.528 slash line with two home runs and 10 RBI in 15 games since returning from the IL in late July.

Bogaerts isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Pirates due to a lower-shin injury, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The 29-year-old fouled a ball off his shin over the weekend, and he'll take Tuesday off since he's apparently still feeling some soreness after Boston's scheduled day off Monday. Enrique Hernandez, fresh off the injured list, will start at shortstop with Bogaerts receiving an extra day to rest up.

Pena (neck) is batting seventh and playing shortstop Tuesday in Chicago, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The neck stiffness that kept Pena out of Monday's game appears to have been minor. In 18 games since his last home run, Pena has slashed .194/.214/.239 with three doubles and four RBI.