MLB Player News

Smith is on the bench for Tuesday's game against the Athletics.

Smith is on the bench for the fourth time in seven games, and he appears to have shifted into more of a super-utility role of late after previously seeing action as the Rangers' primary third baseman earlier this month. Ezequiel Duran has since taken over as the preferred option at the position, with his hot hitting and Smith's modest .576 OPS since the beginning of August likely being the primary factors.

Crawford went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles and a walk in a win over the Angels on Monday.

The veteran shortstop snapped a 1-1 tie with his third-inning knock, which drove home Jesse Winker, and he added another timely single in the ninth inning to cap off Seattle's wild six-run rally. Crawford now has three straight two-hit efforts and boasts an impressive .282 average and .370 on-base percentage over the 46 plate appearances covering his last 11 games.

Double-A Erie placed Perez on its 7-day injured list Tuesday due to an unspecified issue.

After a rough 2021 campaign, the 22-year-old switch-hitting Perez had re-established himself as one of the Tigers' better prospects by finding success at both High-A West Michigan and at the Double-A level. Since joining Erie in mid-June, Perez has produced a .307/.374/.533 slash line with 20 extra-base hits and a tidy 13.5 percent strikeout rate across 171 plate appearances.

Allen went 1-for-3 with one homer, one RBI and one run scored in Monday's loss to the Rangers.

The rookie shortstop took a 2-0 fastball from Glenn Otto 391 feet to left field for his third home run on the season and second in as many days. Despite the recent power surge, Allen should not be considered a home run producer as he never eclipsed six home runs in a single season in the minors. He should be considered a fringe option in deeper leagues down the stretch, as his season-long slash is a lowly .214/.280/.318.

Fletcher was removed from Monday's game against the Mariners due to a left foot contusion, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Fletcher managed to remain in the game after fouling a ball off his foot, but he was lifted prior to his next at-bat. He'll be considered day-to-day until further notice.

Franco (wrist) could return from the 10-day injured list as early as this weekend, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco is expected to join Triple-A Durham for a rehab assignment early this week, and he's closing in on his return from the injured list. Even if the 21-year-old isn't cleared to rejoin the Rays for their home series against the Royals this weekend, he'll likely be able to return sometime next week.

Pena was removed from the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox due to neck stiffness, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pena was removed from Monday's lineup just over an hour before the start of the game, but he doesn't consider his neck injury serious and said that he's day-to-day. Mauricio Dubon is starting at shortstop and leading off.

Pena was scratched from Monday's lineup against the White Sox for an undisclosed reason, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pena was initially slated to start at shortstop and lead off Monday, and it's not yet clear whether an injury led to his removal from the lineup. Mauricio Dubon will take his place at shortstop while also leading off during the series opener at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Seager went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Mariners.

Seager crossed the plate on a heads-up play in the fifth inning when Logan Gilbert threw a wild pitch, then again in the seventh on an Adolis Garcia single. Seager has nine hits in his last six games, improving his batting average from .248 to .254 in the process. He has three multi-hit games during that span.

Crawford went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Sunday's loss to the Rangers.

Crawford reached home on a Sam Haggerty single in the second inning, then again on an error in the sixth inning. He also picked up two hits in Sunday's game, his second two-hit game in a row. The shortstop has been inconsistent this month, going 9-for-42, resulting in a .214 batting average. Perhaps Crawford's last two games are a sign that his .259 season batting average will continue to improve.