MLB Player News

Franco (wrist) could be ready to resume taking live batting practice as soon as Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Just under a month after getting surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist, Franco appears to be roughly in line with where the Rays had hoped he would be up to this point in his recovery. He'll likely hit off a tee or take dry swings over the next few days as the Rays look to gauge whether he's fit to face live pitching this weekend. If Franco does get the green light to take BP, he could be cleared to start throwing and taking part in fielding work next week. Franco was expected to be sidelined for 5-to-8 weeks at the time of his surgery, so he would seemingly have a shot at being ready to return from the IL by the end of August.

Diaz went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Rangers.

Diaz's fourth-inning blast off Martin Perez was his second grand slam of the season and helped the Astros dig out of an early 4-0 hole. The 32-year-old was making his third consecutive start at a different position Wednesday, but he'll likely see the bulk of his opportunities in left field moving forward. Chas McCormick looks to be the primary threat to Diaz's playing time, though the Astros could soon give trade-deadline pickup Trey Mancini some exposure to the corner outfield.

Seager went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to Houston.

The muscle at the top of the batting order gave the Rangers an early lead. In addition to Seager's third-inning blast, Marcus Semien (first inning) and Adolis Garcia (fifth inning) homered off Jose Urquidy, but Martin Perez could not hold the lead. The homer was the 25th for Seager, who upped his line to .250/.329/.475 over 103 games.

Bichette went 2-for-4 with two homers, four RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's loss against the Orioles.

The Blue Jays were unable to secure the win against the surging Orioles on Tuesday, but that was no fault of Bichette's, as he mashed two home runs and accounted for four of the Blue Jays' six runs. He also now carries a six-game hitting streak as he looks to finish the season on a high note. The young shortstop has been moved down to the bottom half of the lineup as he has not performed up to his standards, but as he heats up, he may move back in the top half and be in position to rack up more counting stats to close out the season.

Velazquez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game at Oakland, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Velazquez is 5-for-27 in 16 games since the All-Star break and will take a seat Tuesday for the second straight contest. David Fletcher will shift to shortstop while Luis Rengifo starts at second base and Jose Rojas at third.

Anderson (hand) was placed on the 10-day injured list after Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader at Kansas City and is scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The 29-year-old sat out the matinee while serving the second and final game of his suspension, but he was diagnosed with a sagittal band tear on the middle finger of his left hand and is expected to miss the next six weeks while recovering from the procedure. Anderson sustained the injury during Saturday's game against the Rangers on a check swing, and the tear is causing a dislocation of the exterior tendon of his finger. Leury Garcia and prospect Lenyn Sosa, who was promoted from Triple-A Charlotte over the weekend, are the primary options to fill in at shortstop for the White Sox.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Story (wrist) has resumed swinging a bat, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The team isn't yet providing a timeline for Story's return from the 10-day injured list, but his ability to start swinging again is the first sign of progress for the second baseman since he was diagnosed in late July with a hairline fracture of his right wrist. Until Story returns from the wrist injury, Christian Arroyo will serve as the Red Sox's primary option at the keystone.

Lopez was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Lopez will head back to Triple-A after being recalled Saturday, failing to draw an at-bat before being sent down. The move was made to clear a roster spot for Jackie Bradley, who was signed Tuesday.

Duran is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Astros, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Duran will get a breather after he went 4-for-11 with a homer, a double, two RBI and two runs during the team's three-game series against the White Sox. Brad Miller will take over at designated hitter and bat ninth in the series opener.

Anderson (suspension) was diagnosed Tuesday with a torn ligament in his left hand and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks, Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports reports.

Anderson is out of the lineup for the first half of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Royals while he serves the second game of the two-game suspension he received over the weekend, but the White Sox are expected to shift him to the 10-day injured list in advance of the nightcap in light of his injury. Per LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune, Anderson picked up the injury on a checked swing Saturday against the Rangers, and the torn ligament was confirmed when he returned to Chicago on Sunday for an examination. Dorsey notes that surgery could be a possibility for Anderson, but for the time being, the White Sox seem content to wait and see how the 29-year-old responds to rest and rehab. Leury Garcia is making his second straight start at shortstop in Game 1 on Tuesday and could serve as the primary replacement at the position in Anderson's absence, while top prospect Lenyn Sosa was also called up from Triple-A Charlotte over the weekend and is another possible fill-in option.