Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 13-1 loss to the Mariners.

Smith's ninth-inning blast off Troy Taylor kept the Rangers from getting shut out, but that was about the only positive they could take from the game. Smith had gone just 5-for-28 (.179) over nine contests since his last homer against the Athletics on April 22. The utility player has slowed down a bit but still has a .296/.380/.457 slash line over 93 plate appearances this season. He's added three homers, seven RBI, 14 runs scored, four stolen bases and four doubles in 27 games.

Witt went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Orioles.

Witt's strikeout in his final at-bat of Friday's game halted a 22-game hitting streak, tied for seventh longest in Royals history. Witt is having another All-Star-caliber season and ranks in the top five in the American League in doubles (12), hits (39), stolen bases (nine) and batting average (.312).

The Rangers recalled Ornelas from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.

The 24-year-old will fill the roster spot of Nick Ahmed, who was designated for assignment Friday. Ornelas will provide some infield depth with Corey Seager (hamstring) on the injured list, but it'll be Josh Smith operating as the regular shortstop.

The Rangers designated Ahmed for assignment Friday.

Ahmed's removal from the 40-man roster clears a spot for the addition of Blaine Crim. The veteran shortstop is hitless in 10 plate appearances during his time with the big club this season.

Neto went 1-for-4 with a run and a stolen base in a loss to Detroit on Thursday.

Neto extended his hitting streak to seven games with a third-inning single, and he subsequently stole second base before being driven in by a Jorge Soler homer. Neto got a late start to the campaign due to a shoulder injury and initially batted seventh in the order, but he soon moved up to the No. 2 slot and has now batted leadoff for the Halos in three straight games. He's hit well in his 12 contests so far this season, slashing .283/.313/.565 with three home runs, six RBI, seven runs and four stolen bases.

Meidroth went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored Thursday against the Brewers.

Meidroth was in the lineup for the first time since April 20 after being forced to the injured list due to a thumb injury. He immediately slotted into the leadoff role and began the first frame with a double before coming around to score. Meidroth has split time between second base and shortstop since being promoted April 11, but he should have a near everyday role.

Witt went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and an additional RBI in Thursday's 8-2 win over Tampa Bay.

Witt put the Royals ahead 3-1 with a two-out, opposite-field blast off Shane Baz, his third homer of the year. The long ball extends Witt's hitting streak to a career-best 22 games. The shortstop is now slashing .322/.400/.496 with 15 RBI, 20 runs scored and nine steals across 140 plate appearances this season.

Smith is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.

The left-handed-hitting Smith will retreat to the bench for the series finale while the Athletics send southpaw Jeffrey Springs to the hill. Nick Ahmed will step in at shortstop in place of Smith, who had been included in the lineup in each of the last seven games while batting .192 with no extra-base hits and a stolen base.

Seager (hamstring) took live batting practice Thursday and also did some running, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Barring a setback, Seager is likely to be activated from the 10-day injured list when first eligible Saturday. The veteran shortstop is sporting a .286/.345/.468 batting line with four home runs over his first 21 contests for the Rangers this season.

Walls is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Though the Rays have valued Walls' dependable glove at shortstop over the last few seasons, he's routinely struggled to make much of an impact at the plate. Walls has taken another step back with the bat so far in 2025, slashing just .155/.247/.197 with one extra-base hit (a home run) and a 24.7 percent strikeout rate across 81 plate appearances. While the Rays probably won't phase Walls out entirely, he seems to have moved into more of a part-time role of late, as he'll hit the bench for the fifth time in the last eight games. Jose Caballero may have overtaken Walls as manager Kevin Cash's preferred option at shortstop.