MLB Player News

Bogaerts went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 4-3 win over Baltimore.

Bogaerts and Alex Verdugo ripped back-to-back doubles in the first inning to give Boston an early lead. It was the 300th career two-bagger for Bogaerts, who became the eighth player in Red Sox history with 150 or more home runs and 300 or more doubles. The 29-year-old shortstop joined Carl Yastrzemski as the second Red Sox player to achieve that feat before turning 30. Bogaerts is slashing .309/.379/.451 with nine homers, 48 RBI and 62 runs scored over 108 games this season.

Baez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Guardians.

Baez hit his 11th home run of the season in the sixth inning against Cleveland starter Zach Plesac. The shortstop has been disappointing overall in his first season in Detroit, as his .642 OPS would be his worst since the .551 OPS he posted across 52 games as a rookie in 2014. By contrast, Baez posted an .813 OPS and 31 home runs with the Cubs and Mets last year.

Smith isn't starting Thursday against the Astros.

Smith's playing time has declined recently, and he'll be out of the lineup for the third time in the last four games. Ezequiel Duran will shift to third base while Charlie Culberson enters the lineup in left field.

Witt isn't starting Thursday against the White Sox.

Witt is getting a breather after he hit .200 with four RBI and a run over the last five games. Nicky Lopez will shift to shortstop while Michael Massey starts at second base.

Chang went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Brewers.

Chang took Brandon Woodruff yard in the fifth inning to record his third homer of the campaign. He's started three of the team's last four games, which has come at the expense of Ji-Man Choi. Though a limited sample, Chang has hit .333 with two homers, six RBI and six runs scored in 16 games since joining the Rays.

Smith isn't starting Wednesday against Houston.

Smith is out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games after he went 0-for-3 with a run, a stolen base and a strikeout during Tuesday's loss to the Astros. Ezequiel Duran is shifting to third base while Brad Miller serves as the designated hitter.

Basabe has hit .288/.361/.374 with zero home runs, five steals and a 15:18 BB:K through 34 games since being promoted to Double-A Montgomery in late June.

He at least managed to hit four homers and post a .463 slugging percentage over 55 games in High-A ahead of the promotion, but the higher level has served only to highlight Basabe's lack of power. Basabe is essentially a high-contact slap hitter -- he doesn't strike out much and offers good-but-not-great speed on the bases. There could be a place for that in the major leagues, but Basabe is profiling like a utility player who offers little in the way of fantasy value.

Diaz is not in the starting lineup Wednesday against the Rangers.

Diaz will get a day off after he went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Tuesday's win. Chas McCormick will take over in left field and bat seventh versus Texas.

Fletcher will start at second base and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Athletics.

Fletcher will stick atop the lineup for the third consecutive contest, with the Angels facing off against one right-hander (James Kaprielian) and two lefties (Cole Irvin and JP Sears) during that stretch. Though he'll be occupying second base Wednesday, Fletcher looks like he could see more playing time down the stretch at shortstop, a position in which the Angels have struggled to extract production from Andrew Velazquez. Fletcher could be a decent source of batting average, runs and steals if he ends up getting an extended run as the Angels' table setter.

Crawford isn't starting Wednesday against the Yankees.

Crawford is out of the lineup for the first time since July 15 after he went 2-for-18 with an RBI, two walks and a strikeout over the last five games. Dylan Moore will start at shortstop and bat seventh after he was reinstated from the injured list Wednesday.