MLB Player News

Pennington signed a minor league contract with the Rangers on Friday.

Pennington was dreadful in 16 games for the Reds, as he hit just .138/.265/.138 with no extra-base hits in 29 at-bats. He hasn't posted an OPS above .700 since 2010, and his usefulness, should he make it to the majors with Texas, will mostly lie in his ability to play multiple infield positions.

Gordon's positional switch from center field to second base is effective beginning with Friday's game against the Tigers, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The 30-year-old has been putting in infield work over the last several days in anticipation of returning to the keystone, where he's already logged 502 major-league games. Gordon's positional shift comes as a result of Robinson Cano's finger injury and 80-game suspension, but manager Scott Servais sounded a confident tone regarding the likelihood of a seamless transition for the versatile veteran. "He's been an All-Star and won a Gold Glove. I don't know where you're going to do better than that," Servais said. "We just happen to have him on our roster and we'll take advantage of that. Dee is excited about it and ready to go."

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer during a victory over the Orioles on Thursday.

X-Man left the yard for the second straight night and for his sixth time this year, uncorking one off the light tower above the Green Monster with two on to send Kevin Gausman to the showers. Now batting .313 with a .918 OPS on the year, Bogaerts has shown a more aggressive and flyball-based plate approach. He will continue to occupy a vital spot in the middle of this lethal Boston lineup.

Wendle is out of the lineup against the Angels on Thursday, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wendle will take a seat with left-hander Tyler Skaggs on the mound for Los Angeles. In his place, Daniel Robertson will start at second base and bat third.

Sardinas (back) is close to playing in games at extended spring training, Rich Dubroff of PressBoxonline.com reports.

Sardinas has been on the shelf since the end of April with a back injury, but he's apparently shown improvement and is nearing a return to game action. It's unclear if Sardinas will require a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the Orioles, leaving his return date up in the air. With Jonathan Schoop healthy and back in action, Sardinas isn't even guaranteed to stick with the big cub once he's activated.

Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 6-4 win over Oakland.

Bogaerts helped out a shaky Chris Sale when he launched a three-run shot in the sixth inning to extend a one-run lead and provide the cushion Boston needed to take the final game of the series Wednesday. The homer was Bogaerts' fifth of the season, half of his season total in 2017, and could be the result of a more aggressive plate approach. He's swinging at 48 percent of the pitches he's seeing, up from 42 percent in 2017. His flyball rate has also jumped, from 31 percent to 37 percent. Power has been inconsistent from Bogaerts during his time in the big leagues, who hit 21 homers in 2016, but has just 29 over his other three full seasons since 2014.

Gordon, who took grounders at second base for a second consecutive day before Wednesday's game, is expected to make the positional transition from center field sometime during the upcoming weekend series against the Tigers, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The move is necessitated by Robinson Cano's 80-game suspension, with Gordon the natural candidate to fill in considering his multiple seasons of experience and Gold Glove at the position. The 30-year-old is expected to continue putting in infield work for the next couple of days in order to reacclimate to the speed of the ball off the bat at much closer proximity. With Gordon heading to second base, Guillermo Heredia is expected to see the majority of playing time in center field.

Anderson will not be in the lineup for Wednesday's game against Pittsburgh, Andy Masur of WGN Radio reports.

Anderson will sit for the first time this season as the White Sox are in the early stages of a 16-day stretch without a scheduled off day. In his place, Yolmer Sanchez will start at shortstop and Matt Davidson will man third base. Over 38 games this season, Anderson is hitting .239 with a .729 OPS, seven home runs, 11 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Gordon is taking grounders at second base in anticipation of a possible position change, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Gordon, who made the transition to center field this season when he was traded to the Mariners, could be switching back to second base after Robinson Cano (finger) was popped with an 80-game suspension for failing a drug test. This shouldn't really have an effect on his fantasy value for this season, as he's already eligible at the keystone in most leagues thanks to his work there in 2017.

Diaz (ankle) began a hitting progression Tuesday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Diaz continues to ramp up his activity as he slowly works his way back from a sprained ankle. He also began running lightly. While Diaz is making solid progress in his recovery, the 27-year-old remains without a timetable for his return. For now, Richard Urena and Giovanny Urshela will continue to man shortstop in his stead.