MLB Player News

Adames went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a stolen base and an additional run Tuesday in the Rays' 5-2 loss to the Mets.

Adames' second-inning long ball accounted for the Rays' only earned run off Mets starter Seth Lugo, who struck out seven over 6.1 innings. The shortstop later came around to cross home on a wild pitch in the sixth inning after putting himself in scoring position on a successful double steal with Joey Wendle. Adames' batting average has nosedived in September thanks to a huge uptick in strikeouts (45.6 K%), but he's still managed to be a decent power source with four home runs on the month.

Anderson was ejected from Tuesday's game against the Indians, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old was due to hit fourth during the 10th inning Tuesday, but he got ejected from the dugout while arguing a called check swing on teammate Luis Robert. Anderson went 1-for-4 with a strikeout before getting tossed and now has a .353/.387.583 slash line in 44 games.

Wendle went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base in a win over the Mets on Monday. He was also caught stealing on a second attempt.

Wendle's rollercoaster campaign at the plate continued its latest upswing Monday, with his multi-hit effort pushing his line over the last nine contests to an impressive .364/.389/.545 (36 plate appearances). The versatile infielder now has a trio of two-hit efforts over the last four contests, and he's lifted his season averaged 25 points to .275 during the aforementioned hot stretch.

Anderson went 1-for-5 with a run scored in Monday's 7-4 loss to Cleveland.

Anderson left Sunday's game with cramping in his hamstring but was able to return the next day and play a full game. Chicago has no scheduled days off the rest of the regular season, so there may be a rest day for Anderson at some point this week in preparation for the postseason.

Franco has been named to the Rays' 40-man postseason player pool, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Teams in the postseason will be allowed to carry a 40-man pool, even though only 28 players will be eligible for active status at any one time. Franco's inclusion is notable considering his elite prospect status, although it's still more likely that he doesn't see any game action. Nevertheless, Toribio notes Franco could still benefit from being around the team in a playoff environment in anticipation of a big-league roster spot in 2021.

Adames, who went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Orioles on Sunday, is nevertheless slashing just .104/.173/.229 over the 52 plate appearances encompassing his last 13 games.

Adames' season line was up to an impressive .322/.398/.585 following a fourth straight multi-hit effort on Sept. 2 in a win over the Yankees, but the shortstop has been in a deep funk since. At the heart of the 25-year-old's extended struggles is a massive 51.9 percent strikeout rate over that span, which has helped limit Adames to just five total hits during the sample. There was a glimmer of hope to be found in Sunday's round tripper, however, as it marked the second time Adames left the yard in the last three games.

Anderson (hamstring) will start at shortstop and will leadoff Monday against the Indians.

Anderson looked like a prime candidate to receive a day off Monday after exiting Sunday's loss to the Reds with a right hamstring cramp, but the 27-year-old evidently feels ready to play through the pain as the White Sox look to secure the American League's top record during the final week of the regular season. He'll occupy his familiar perch atop the order, where he's been a spark plug all season for one of the majors' most potent lineups. Anderson maintains a .996 OPS on the campaign, a 131-point increase from the career-best mark he posted in 2019.

Bichette went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and two runs scored in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Phillies.

Bichette scored runs in the first and seventh innings Sunday, giving him 14 runs scored on the season. The 22-year-old shortstop is sporting a strong .306/.327/.551 slash line with 13 extra-base hits in just 101 plate appearances.

The Rays aren't expected to have Franco make his big-league debut until 2021, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Tampa Bay is including Franco in its 40-man postseason pool, but barring an injury to Willy Adames, the 19-year-old switch hitter likely won't be making an appearance this fall. Despite not having the opportunity to play in affiliated ball in 2020, Franco remains the top prospect in baseball and will likely retain that title until he reaches the majors.

Anderson exited Sunday's game against the Reds with a right hamstring cramp, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before being lifted for a pinch hitter during the seventh inning. Anderson should be considered day-to-day.