MLB Player News

Franco is 3-for-10 with a home run, three RBI and two runs over the first two games of the weekend series against the Orioles.

The rookie shortstop went 2-for-5 with a two-run single and a run in Friday's series opener before belting a 414-foot shot to right field in the eighth inning of Saturday's 12-3 win, his fourth homer of the campaign. Franco had been on an impressive tear coming into the series as well, as he'd produced a .319/.373/.447 slash line over the 51 plate appearances covering his previous 12 games.

Fletcher went 2-for-5 with a double and a stolen base in Friday's 4-3 victory over the Dodgers.

It's unclear what has led to Fletcher's sudden surge of activity on the basepaths, but the results have certainly been a boon to fantasy managers who roster him, as the infielder has swiped four bags in his past four games. He is now up to nine thefts on the season, surpassing his previous season high of eight set in 2019. Fletcher doesn't provide much power or run production, so his fantasy value will shoot up considerably if he can continue to add speed to a repertoire that already includes elite contact skills and a superb .308 batting average.

Crawford was held out of the lineup Saturday against the Yankees since he's feeling under the weather, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Crawford reported to the team that he was feeling ill Saturday morning, so he'll be held out as a precautionary measure. It's not yet clear whether he'll be ready to return for Sunday's series finale.

Crawford is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees.

Crawford extended his on-base streak to seven games Friday, and he's hit .345 with a double, four runs and three RBI during that time. Dylan Moore will take his place at shortstop and bat ninth.

Crawford enters Friday's game against the Yankees with a six-game on-base streak during which he's hitting .360 (9-for-25) with a double, two RBI, three walks and four runs.

That sample includes back-to-back two-hit efforts against the Rays and Yankees. Crawford's slash line is back up to a solid .272/.333/.367, with his batting average comfortably qualifying as a career high.

Witt has homered five times and stolen three bases in 15 games since his promotion to Triple-A Omaha, posting a .290/.338/.565 line in the process.

The mega-prospect's full minor-league line for the season is now .294/.363/.569 with 21 homers, 17 steals, 60 RBI and 60 runs. He's even trimmed his strikeout rate from 24 percent at Double-A to 21.6 percent at Triple-A. Just 21 years old, Witt looks ready for the big leagues, but the date of his eventual promotion remains an open question. At one point this spring, it seemed likely that he'd spend the majority of the campaign with the Royals, but as things stand now, it seems like he may not get called up until rosters expand in September or perhaps not until early 2022. Whenever he does get the call, he could make an instant impact.

Bichette went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Thursday's win over Cleveland.

Bichette reached the 20-homer plateau in style, sending a two-run bomb to left center while also scoring Vladimir Guerrero, but he wasn't done yet. He also plated Marcus Semien with an RBI single in the sixth, meaning he was responsible for all five runs for Toronto. Bichette is hitting .265 with a .786 OPS, two homers, nine RBI, seven runs scored and a 3:6 BB:K over his last 10 games.

Fletcher went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run and a stolen base in Thursday's 5-0 win over Texas.

Fletcher continues to put his slow start to the season in the rearview mirror, as his season average is now up to a robust .307. After hitting .358 in July, he has started August with two multi-hit efforts in his first five contests and is batting .316 over that stretch. As a nice bonus for fantasy managers who roster him, Fletcher has picked things up on the basepaths of late, swiping three bags over his past three games. His eight thefts on the season match his career high set in 2019.

Correa isn't starting Thursday's game against the Twins, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Correa will get a rare day off after he went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a strikeout in Wednesday's loss to the Dodgers. Robel Garcia will take his place at shortstop and bat eighth.

Baltimore claimed Mateo off waivers from San Diego on Thursday.

Before San Diego designated him for assignment Tuesday, Mateo saw limited use as a utility man for the Padres, appearing in 57 games and logging a .207/.250/.322 slash line over 93 plate appearances. Over the final two months of the season, expect the Orioles to give the 26-year-old a look as their everyday second baseman, a position where Baltimore has struggled to get production since Freddy Galvis (quadriceps) landed on the injured list in late June before being traded to the Phillies. Pat Valaika, who had been serving as the Orioles' primary option at the keystone of late, was designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man and 26-man rosters for Mateo. Though he owns a lowly .545 OPS over a limited sample of MLB action, Mateo boasts high-end speed and could be a worthy target for fantasy managers in deeper leagues looking for a boost in stolen bases.