MLB Player News

Pena's teammate, Justin Verlander, said that the rookie shortstop exited Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Mets in the eighth inning with a mouth laceration, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dusty Baker declined to discuss the nature of the injuries Pena and Yordan Alvarez sustained in their outfield collision, but Verlander was at least willing to give the media with an update on the former player. Assuming Pena doesn't require any sort of major dental surgery and avoided any further injuries in the collision, he'll have a good chance at being back in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees. Pena, who went 1-for-4 at the plate before his exit, looked as though he was initially going to stay in the game, but he ultimately walked off to the dugout after consulting with team trainers.

Pena was removed from Wednesday's game against the Mets in the eighth inning after he was involved in a collision in the outfield with teammate Yordan Alvarez, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. He went 1-for-4 before departing from the contest.

Both players were shaken up in the incident, but Alvarez appeared to absorb the brunt of the collision. Pena was the first of the two to get up from the field and was able to walk to the dugout under his own power, while the Astros called out a cart for Alvarez. The nature and extent of the injuries to Pena and Alvarez likely won't be announced until after the contest, but both could be in danger of missing time. Mauricio Dubon came off the bench to replace Pena at shortstop.

Story is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Since he's started in every game for Boston dating back to June 10, Story's absence from the lineup may just be maintenance-related. With the Red Sox off the schedule Thursday before returning to action Friday for the start of a three-game series with the Cubs, Story will effectively get two straight days off. Yolmer Sanchez will start at second base in place of Story, who went 2-for-7 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in the first two contests in Toronto.

Smith (calf) is starting Wednesday's game against the Royals.

Smith was removed from Tuesday's win over the Royals due to a right calf contusion, but he'll start at third base and lead off a day later. Over his last six games, he's gone 3-for-15 with three runs, a stolen base, five walks and three strikeouts.

Seager went 2-for-4 with a two-run double and a run in an 8-3 win over the Royals on Tuesday.

Seager helped the Rangers knock opposing starter Jonathan Heasley from the game in the fourth inning by doubling to left center to drive in a pair of baserunners. Although he's a career .290 hitter, Seager is only sporting a .231 average in 281 at-bats this season. At least for the time being, the veteran shortstop appears to have swapped out his tendency to hit for average in exchange for power; he already has 15 homers on the season, putting him well in pace to exceed the career-high 26 he slugged in 2016 if he remains healthy.

Velazquez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 11-4 loss to the White Sox.

Velazquez hasn't posted a multi-hit game in June, but he's hit three of his five homers while batting a paltry .119 (8-for-67) this month. The shortstop continues to play regularly, though he often hits at the bottom of the order. He's batting .175/.220/.280 with 20 RBI, 22 runs scored and 10 stolen bases through 216 plate appearances.

Anderson went 3-for-6 with a run scored in Tuesday's 11-4 win over the Angels.

Anderson did well in a table-setting role, but a hitless performance from Andrew Vaughn in the No. 2 spot limited the leadoff hitter's involvement in run production. This was Anderson's 10th three-hit game of the year. He's batting an excellent .344/.382/.467 with five home runs, 19 RBI, 29 runs scored, 10 stolen bases and nine doubles through 207 plate appearances. A career-best 11.6 percent strikeout rate has amplified his steady contact skills, while his counting stats are lagging due to a groin injury that cost him three weeks.

Smith exited Tuesday's win over the Royals with a right calf contusion, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Smith hit leadoff and went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs, but he fouled a pitch off he calf and was lifted for a pinch hitter during the eighth inning. The 24-year-old's removal was labeled precautionary, so there's a chance he'll be available for Wednesday's series finale in Kansas City.

Fletcher (hip) advanced to hitting on the field Tuesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old continues to progress in his rehab work after undergoing surgery to repair the adductor muscles in both legs May 10. Fletcher will be eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list in a couple weeks, but he's unlikely to be ready at that point since he figures to require at least a handful of rehab games in the minors.

Correa went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in a 3-2 loss to Cleveland during the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader.

His eighth-inning shot off Sam Hentges gave the Twins a brief 2-1 lead, but Emilio Pagan handed it right back to the Guardians in the bottom of the frame. Correa extended his hitting streak to eight games with the performance, a stretch during which he's batting .344 (11-for-32) with four of his nine homers on the year.