MLB Player News

Fletcher (shoulder) is starting at shortstop and hitting leadoff Thursday against the Rays.

Fletcher has been nursing a sore shoulder since Sunday, but he entered Tuesday's game as a defensive replacement and is ready to rejoin the starting nine after Wednesday's off day. The 25-year-old is slashing .308/.370/.451 with three homers, two stolen bases and a 13:11 BB:K since the start of May (35 games). He'll face southpaw Ryan Yarbrough in his return to action.

Gordon, who went 2-for-5 with two doubles and two runs in a win over the Twins on Wednesday, is 3-for-8 overall in two games since returning from a wrist injury.

Gordon was activated prior to Tuesday's series opener against the Twins and went 1-for-4 with a single in that contest. The fact the veteran has hit the ground running at the plate since his return falls in line with the solid offensive season he's enjoying, which has seen him generate a .284/.311/.379 line and come within one home run of equaling the career-best four he's hit on two previous occasions.

Wendle (wrist) has returned from his minor-league rehab assignment and is expected to be activated before Thursday's series finale against the Athletics, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The optioning of Christian Arroyo back to Triple-A Durham following Wednesday's game is the most definitive sign yet that Wendle is set to return. The versatile infielder finished his four-game minor-league stint with both High-A Charlotte and Durham having gone 7-for-15 with a solo home run, two walks and four runs. Wendle is expected to revert to his super-utility role in the infield upon activation.

Mondesi went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Tigers.

The speedy shortstop stole yet another base along with lacing a pair of singles. The steal marked his fourth in the last five games, upping his season total to a league-leading 26. Mondesi has been a force to be reckoned with so far, slashing .283/.315/.468 with six home runs, 44 RBI and 38 runs scored.

Crawford (ankle), who went 0-for-4 in High-A Modesto's loss to Stockton on Wednesday, is expected to be activated for the start of a three-game series versus the Athletics on Friday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Crawford is expected to log one more game with the Nuts on Thursday and then meet the team in nearby Oakland for the start of the three-game set. As ugly as Crawford's ankle sprain appeared when he initially suffered it May 28, the promising shortstop has made a relative quick recovery and appears to be moving close to or at 100 percent.

Fletcher (shoulder) came off the bench to serve as a defensive replacement at third base in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Dodgers.

Fletcher's sore left shoulder kept him out of the lineup for the third straight game, but the Angels' decision to deploy him off the bench adds credence to the notion that he won't require a stay on the injured list. After a team off day Wednesday, Fletcher might be ready to return to the starting nine for Thursday's series opener with the Rays.

Bichette (hand) is expected to return to action Thursday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Bichette has been out with a broken hand since late April. He's appeared in four rehab games with High-A Dunedin, going 6-for-11 with five walks.

Adames went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, a walk, a steal of home and a run in a loss to the Athletics on Tuesday.

Adames accomplished the rare swipe of home plate in the fourth inning after a walk. The speedy shortstop initially went from first to third on a Kevin Kiermaier single and the Rays subsequently pulled off the double steal. Adames' run-scoring single in the ninth also brought the Rays to within a run before the comeback fizzled. The multi-hit effort was Adames' fourth of June and also snapped a brief 0-for-8 slump that had encompassed his previous two games.

Bogaerts went 2-for-3 with a walk and solo home run Tuesday against the Rangers.

Bogarts took Ariel Jurado deep in the second inning to record his 13th homer of the season. The performance snapped a three-game hitless streak, though he had reached base on two free passes in that span. Bogaerts has an impressive .900 OPS through 290 plate appearances, while also ranking fourth in the league with 51 runs scored.

Crawford (ankle) started at shortstop and went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in High-A Modesto's win over Visalia on Tuesday.

Crawford put in seven innings and apparently emerged without setbacks, with his sixth-inning three-run homer serving as the highlight of his night. The 24-year-old is slated to only play another couple of games with the Nuts this week before being activated ahead of a weekend series against the Athletics.