MLB Player News

Chang was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Friday, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Chang has struggled at the plate this season, slashing an undesirable .176/.211/.287 with just two homers, so his demotion comes as no surprise. Franmil Reyes (oblique) was activated from the IL in a corresponding roster move.

Allen owns a .333/.389/.494 slash line with 13 extra-base hits and 25 RBI across 177 plate appearances for Double-A Midland, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Gallegos cites a text he received from an organizational source that noted Allen "is coming along like a freight train" and will be "better than advertised when he arrives." That's certainly lofty praise, but the 22-year-old has apparently earned it by producing his best professional season at the plate at his highest level of the minors yet. It's worth noting Allen also has six steals and an acceptable 18.6 percent strikeout rate with Midland thus far, while his glove work is considered among the very best of any prospect in baseball.

Volpe is slashing .316/.444/.638 with 10 home runs, 45 RBI and 19 stolen bases for Low-A Tampa.

The Yankees' first-round pick in the 2019 first-year player draft has flashed both power and speed in his first campaign in A-ball while also walking more times (38) than he has struck out (37). He was especially hot in June, slashing .392/.515/.848 with seven homers and eight steals. The 20-year-old is regarded as a solid defensive shortstop, so he could ascend quickly through the organization's minor-league system if he continues to dominate offensively.

Crawford went 5-for-13 with two doubles, three walks and five runs across the just-concluded three-game series against the Blue Jays.

As those numbers imply, Crawford was a constant thorn in the side of Toronto pitchers over the three-game set. The veteran shortstop was on base six times alone over Wednesday's and Thursday's contests, and he now owns a .348/.368/.500 slash line across the 68 plate appearances covering his last 15 games.

Correa isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against Cleveland, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Correa was hit by a pitch in Monday's loss to the Orioles, but he started each of the last two games and went 0-for-7 with two runs, two walks and three strikeouts. Robel Garcia will take over at shortstop and bat ninth.

Fletcher went 1-for-4 with a walk, a run and a stolen base in an 11-8 win over the Yankees on Wednesday.

Shohei Ohtani was plugged into the leadoff spot on the day he also started on the mound, so Fletcher was pushed to the fifth spot in the lineup. That didn't break his rhythm at the plate, as Fletcher's ninth-inning single extended his hit streak to 15 games. He subsequently stole second base and came around to score as part of a seven-run frame. Fletcher finished June with a .344/.378/.419 slash line, seven doubles and 17 runs.

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Royals.

Bogaerts extended his on-base streak to 25 games with a third-inning single. He's slashing .362/.422/.564 with 13 extra-base hits, 17 RBI and 19 runs during the streak. The shortstop currently sits fourth in MLB with a .330 batting average.

Wendle isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wendle will take a seat for the second time in the last three games with left-hander Jon Lester starting for the Nationals. Yandy Diaz will shift to third base while Ji-Man Choi starts at first base.

Bichette went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run during Tuesday's win over the Mariners.

Bichette continued his hot streak with his ninth multi-hit game of the month, including his 15th homer of the year, this time against Rafael Montero in the sixth inning. The 23-year-old's recent success at the plate has raised his season slash line to .283/.332/.484.

Downs was removed from Tuesday's game with Triple-A Worcester to be evaluated for a head injury, Katie Morrison of MassLive.com reports.

The 22-year-old suffered the potential head injury on a play at the plate during the sixth inning, as he went tumbling to the ground when he elected not to slide and collided with the catcher. Downs went 1-for-2 with a solo homer and a walk prior to exiting the contest, and he should be considered day-to-day as he continues to be evaluated.