MLB Player News

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.

Anderson went 2-for-3 with a hit by pitch and two runs scored Wednesday against the Royals.

Anderson was on base throughout the game, and he came around to score in the third and seventh innings. He had collected only four hits across his last 27 at-bats and seven starts entering Wednesday's game. However, Anderson is still hitting .309/.333/.491 with two home runs, six RBI and eight runs scored across 57 plate appearances early in the campaign.

Manager Alex Cora said Bogaerts will have a rest day in the series finale against the Blue Jays on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. The shortstop went 4-for-4 with a walk, two runs and an RBI during Wednesday's 7-1 win over Toronto.

It's a well deserved off day for Bogaerts, as Wednesday's four-hit performance is already the seventh time this season he's tallied at least three hits. He has a .397/.421/.534 slash line with one home run, eight RBI, 12 runs and one stolen base through 17 games in 2022. Trevor Story and Christian Arroyo are likely to man the middle infield Thursday for Boston.

Fletcher (hip) joined the Angels on Wednesday to be evaluated and won't be activated from the injured list in the immediate future, as manager Joe Maddon indicated the infielder may not be running at 100 percent, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old has played in four games at Triple-A Salt Lake since beginning his rehab assignment late last week, but he's apparently still having some issues with his hip. Maddon said Fletcher hasn't suffered a setback, but the ongoing problems could delay his return from the injured list.

Crawford went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Rays.

The shortstop took reliever Colin Poche deep in the seventh inning for his third long ball of the season. Crawford has started the 2022 campaign hot from the dish, producing a .349/.455/.587 slash with seven extra-base hits and nine RBI.

Smith (ankle) reported to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday to begin a rehab assignment.

Smith landed on the shelf last week with a bone bruise in his left ankle, and the start of a rehab assignment indicates it won't be a long stay on the injured list. The 25-year-old should only require a couple games in the minors and should rejoin the A's this weekend.

Velazquez isn't starting Wednesday against the Guardians, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez has gone 0-for-9 with a walk and two strikeouts in his last three appearances, and he'll be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. Tyler Wade will shift to shortstop while Jack Mayfield starts at second base.

Mondesi (knee) will be placed on the injured list Thursday, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Mondesi was removed from Tuesday's win over the White Sox due to knee discomfort, and he underwent an MRI that revealed some structural damage. While a timetable for the 26-year-old's return isn't yet clear, it seems likely that he'll be forced to spend more than the minimum of 10 days on the shelf.