MLB Player News

Franco was officially called up as expected for his MLB debut Tuesday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Franco is an elite prospect, the likes of whom only come around a few times each decade. He combines true top-of-the-scale contact ability with above-average skills in all other areas of his game. Exactly how much of his sky-high potential manifests in his first season in the majors remains to be seen, though he certainly didn't struggle at the highest level of the minors, cruising to a .315/.367/.586 line with seven homers and five steals in 39 games for Triple-A Durham. He's primarily a shortstop but could be used elsewhere in the infield, including third base, where he'll make his debut Tuesday against Boston. Franco will bat second in the order, according to Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network.

Witt went 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI, run and two stolen bases Sunday in Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 8-2 win over San Antonio.

Witt's muted start to the season at Northwest Arkansas looks to be a distant memory at this point. After supplying his fifth consecutive multi-hit effort Sunday, Witt is holding down a .343/.405/.672 slash line in June, which has elevated his season-long OPS to a robust .913. The Royals have yet to tip their hand when Witt might be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Omaha, or perhaps directly to the big club.

The Royals placed Mondesi on the 10-day injured list Monday with a strained left oblique.

Though Mondesi isn't dealing with an aggravation of the strained right oblique that sidelined him for nearly two months to begin the season, he'll still be forced to the IL for the third time in 2021 while tending to an injury to his other side. General manager Dayton Moore was unwilling to provide a timeline on Mondesi's return when he met with the media earlier Monday, so the 25-year-old looks like he could be at major risk of spending longer than the minimum amount of time on the shelf. While Mondesi is sidelined again, the Royals are expected to turn to Nicky Lopez to pick up most of the work at shortstop.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Monday that Mondesi is dealing with a left oblique injury and will likely be placed on the 10-day injured list prior to the team's series opener with the Yankees on Tuesday, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Kansas City will presumably put Mondesi through additional tests before formally deciding on his status, but the speedy shortstop looks like he'll be shut down yet again on account of another injury. Mondesi has already had two separate stints on the IL due to a strained right oblique and a left hamstring strain, but since the 25-year-old's latest injury is to his left side, he's not dealing with an aggravation of the previous oblique issue that sidelined him for nearly two months. Even so, these kind of injuries often carry volatile timelines, making it difficult to predict when Mondesi might be ready to play again. Nicky Lopez is expected to serve as the primary option at shortstop for the duration of Mondesi's absence.

Wendle, who went 1-for-4 with a run in an extra-inning loss to the Mariners on Sunday, is hitting .367 (11-for-30) with three doubles, one home run, five RBI, a walk, a stolen base, a hit-by-pitch and four runs over his last eight games.

The hot stretch includes a quartet of multi-hit efforts, the most impressive being a 3-for-4 tally in Saturday's victory over the Mariners. Wendle's season slash line now stands at .292/.350/.491 across 234 plate appearances, and he's already equaled his career high with seven home runs.

Correa went 2-for-3 with a home run, an additional run scored and two walks in Sunday's win over the White Sox.

Correa has homered in back-to-back games and has three over his last six games, a span in which he's also recorded hits in all but one appearance. The star shortstop has been seeing the ball well of late and is hitting .350 on the month, during which he's also racked up six homers, 13 RBI, 16 runs scored, five doubles and a 13:14 BB:K across 16 games.

Franco has been told by the Rays that he'll be called up ahead of Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco cemented his status as baseball's top prospect with Triple-A Durham to begin the season, as he slashed .323/.376/.601 with seven home runs, 35 RBI, 30 runs and five stolen bases in 38 games. While Taylor Walls had been serving as the Rays' shortstop after Willy Adames was traded, Franco should see regular playing time in the infield right away.

Mondesi exited Sunday's game against the Red Sox in the seventh inning due to a side injury, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Mondesi was reinstated from the injured list Tuesday after missing time with a hamstring injury, but he's now dealing with a side issue. The shortstop will be able to rest during Monday's scheduled day off, but he'll be further evaluated by the team's medical staff to determine the extent of his injury.

Crawford went 1-for-5 with a grand slam and an additional run in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Rays.

Crawford provided the most productive hit of the contest, launching a second-inning grand slam that gave Seattle a short-lived three-run lead. He also scored the winning run in the 10th after beginning the frame as the inherited runner at second base. The shortstop extended his hit streak to seven games, during which he is slashing .387/.387/.645 with two homers and seven RBI.

Correa went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 7-3 win over the White Sox.

Correa homered off Jose Ruiz in the eighth inning to extend the Astros' lead to four runs. The shortstop had his second long ball of the week and has provided an RBI in five of the last six games. He has done a great job getting on base, leading the Astros with 37 walks and with a .386 OBP. Also, the 26-year-old has a respectable 13 long balls, trailing just Jose Altuve's 16 for Houston.