MLB Player News

Smith (ankle) was activated off the 10-day injured list Friday.

Smith wound up missing just the minimum 10 days with a bone bruise in his left ankle. He was featured heavily prior to his injury and will likely continue to earn regular playing time, though he'll have to hit a lot better than the .161/.212/.226 line he managed prior to his injury if he's to keep it.

Witt went 1-for-5 with a stolen base in Thursday's 5-2 extra-innings win over the White Sox.

Witt stretched his hitting streak to seven games, during which he's gone 9-for-29 (.310). His steal came in his lone trip on base in the eighth inning after his single. The infielder has shown off his speed with four stolen bases in five attempts while adding a .206/.229/.294 slash line with five RBI and six runs scored in 70 plate appearances. He has four doubles and a triple, but Witt has yet to hit his first major-league home run.

Seager went 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored in a 3-2 loss Thursday against Houston.

Seager made it a one-run ballgame with his one-out, solo homer to straightaway center field in the ninth off Rafael Montero. It was his second homer of the season and first since April 14. Coming into Thursday's game, the shortstop was 4-for-28 with no extra-base hits in his previous seven games. Despite that slump, he still has a respectable .257 batting average and, with a .499 SLG in his career, his power should show up at some point.

Franco went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in a 2-1 win Thursday over Seattle.

After being retired in his first three at-bats, Franco walked and stole second in the eighth but was unable to come around to score. It was his second stolen base of the season and just the third time he's reached on a free pass. The phenom has been praised for his plate discipline and walked more than he struck out in his brief minor-league career. However, he's played only 88 games at the major-league level, and it may take a little while for the 21-year-old's on-base skills to reach their full potential.

Correa went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and three RBI in a 7-1 win Thursday over Detroit.

Correa delivered the big blow in a 2-1 ballgame when he hit a double that plated three (one scoring because of an error) in the fifth inning. He added an RBI single in the sixth and another single in the eighth. It was his first three-hit game as a Twin and just his third multi-hit game on the season. His three RBI matched his season total going into the game and the double was his first extra-base hit since April 12. The performance raised the two-time All-Star's batting average to .200 for the year.

Fletcher (hip) went through an extensive on-field workout Thursday and could be activated in advance of Friday's series opener with the White Sox in Chicago, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Manager Joe Maddon suggested just one day ago that Fletcher still wasn't running at 100 percent following a recent four-game rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake, but the 27-year-old may have assuaged some of the concern about his health after Thursday's workout. The Angels will likely re-evaluate Fletcher early Friday before deciding whether to include him in the lineup later that night, or to wait another day or two prior to activating him from the 10-day injured list. Whenever Fletcher is back in action, he's expected to take back everyday duties at shortstop from Andrew Velazquez.

Diaz will start at second base and bat sixth in Thursday's game against the Rangers.

Diaz will start at the keystone for the fourth time in five games and appears to the preferred option at the position over Niko Goodrum while Jose Altuve (hamstring) is on the injured list. Astros general manager James Click said that Altuve is expected to be activated ahead of Monday's game against the Mariners, so Diaz's time as a near-everyday player should soon come to an end.

Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore announced Thursday that Mondesi was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi has battled more than his fair share of injuries over his seven-year MLB career, and he hasn't made it far into this season without picking up another serious one. He played in just 35 games last season due to a variety of issues and will likely appear in no more than 15 this season, as a torn ACL typically takes eight or nine months to recover from. Expect Nicky Lopez to serve as the primary shortstop the rest of the way, with Whit Merrifield moving into second base from right field. Meanwhile, Kyle Isbel and Edward Olivares are expected to compete for at-bats at the vacated outfield spot.

The Royals officially placed Mondesi (knee) on the 10-day injured list Thursday.

Kansas City recalled infielder Emmanuel Rivera from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move, though Nicky Lopez is on track to step in as the Royals' everyday shortstop while Mondesi is out indefinitely after suffering structural damage to his left knee in Tuesday's 6-0 win over the White Sox. A clearer timetable for Mondesi's return could become available within the next few days, but expect him to miss well beyond the minimum 10 days.

Witt went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 7-3 loss to the White Sox.

Witt has now hit safely in six straight games, going 8-for-24 (.333) in that span. He's 3-for-4 in stolen base attempts this season. The 21-year-old's power has yet to surface at the major-league level, but he's getting back on track from a contact standpoint. He's slashing .206/.231/.302 with five RBI, six runs scored and four doubles in 16 contests.