MLB Player News

Anderson went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and a hit-by-pitch in a 3-1 win Tuesday over the Cubs.

Anderson hit a solo shot to lead off the third inning and put the White Sox up 3-0. Over the last five games, he is 9-for-20 with two homers and no strikeouts. With a .329/.354/.544 batting line through the first 20 games, the 28-year-old is putting up very similar numbers to his .322/.349/.495 line over the previous three seasons.

Chang (illness) will shift his rehab assignment from Double-A Akron to Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.

Chang, who has resided on the COVID-19 injured list since April 15, began his assignment at Akron on Friday. After appearing in two games for the affiliate while going 1-for-5 at the plate, Chang will move on to the highest rung of the minors to pick up more at-bats. Chang is out of minor-league options and may not be guaranteed a spot on the Guardians' 26-man active roster once he's reinstated from the COVID-19 IL, so the team could drag out his rehab assignment in an attempt to delay having to make a roster move.

The Athletics optioned Allen to Triple-A Las Vegas following Monday's 6-1 loss to the Rays, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

His demotion likely clears a spot on the 26-man active roster for reliever Lou Trivino (illness), who appears ready to return from the COVID-19 injured list. After getting his first call to the majors April 18, Allen appeared in eight games for Oakland and went 4-for-19 with two doubles, two runs and a stolen base.

Pena went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in a 3-0 victory versus the Mariners on Monday.

The Astros were leading by one run in the sixth inning before Pena provided some cushion with a two-run, 422-foot shot to left field. The hit was just his second in his past four contests, though both knocks have left the yard. Pena is hitting only .215 on the season, but he has collected five homers, 12 RBI and 14 runs.

Franco (hamstring) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in Monday's win over the Athletics.

Franco returned to the lineup as expected from a one-game absence caused by a tight hamstring. He didn't appear to be bothered by the issue, as he singled in a run in the second inning before coming around to score. Franco has been a late scratch twice this season due to hamstring tightness, so that may be a situation to monitor moving forward. However, there are no concerns about his performance when on the field, as he's hitting .322/.341/.575 with 15 runs scored and 14 RBI across 91 plate appearances to begin the campaign.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners.

With Jose Altuve (hamstring) returning from the 10-day injured list Monday and reclaiming his spot as the Astros' everyday second baseman, Diaz's playing time is likely to take a substantial hit. He had been filling in at the position for the past two weeks along with Niko Goodrum, with Diaz starting in eight of the 12 games that Altuve missed. Diaz's versatility gives him some other avenues to at-bats, but with all of the Astros' key position players at full strength, the 31-year-old will only pick up starts when one of the regulars requires a breather.

Smith isn't starting Monday against the Rays.

Smith started in the last two games and went 3-for-7 with a double, an RBI, a steal and a strikeout. Sheldon Neuse will shift to third base while Jed Lowrie serves as the designated hitter Monday.

Franco (hamstring) is starting Monday's game against the Athletics, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash was hopeful that Franco would be able to return to the lineup Monday, and he'll officially start at shortstop and bat second following his one-game absence due to hamstring tightness. Over the five games prior to his brief absence, the 21-year-old went 4-for-20 with a homer, a double, three RBI, two runs and two steals.

Crawford went 2-for-3 with a double, a solo home run, a walk and two runs in a win over the Marlins on Sunday.

The veteran shortstop continued to knock the cover off the ball Sunday, lacing his 10th and 11th extra-base hits of the season, including his fourth home run. At his current long-ball pace, Crawford will blow past the career-high nine round trippers he launched in 2021 across 687 plate appearances, as he's currently leaving the park on an average of once every 23 plate PAs.

Fletcher is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old is one of four Angels regulars who will take a seat as the team wraps up its four-game set in Chicago with an afternoon contest. After returning from the 10-day injured list Friday, Fletcher started in the middle infield in each of the first three games of the series and went a collective 3-for-9 with a pair of doubles and two walks.