MLB Player News

De La Cruz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

The standout rookie will sit for just the third time since receiving the call to the majors in early June. Nick Senzel will enter the lineup at third base in place of De La Cruz, who heads to the bench after going 1-for-9 with six strikeouts and a walk between the first two games of the series in Chicago.

Berti is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

Berti will head to the bench for the first time since July 21, ending a streak of nine consecutive starts in which he saw action at third base, shortstop and in left field. The Marlins moved on from Jean Segura ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline but acquired two player (Josh Bell and Jake Burger) who are expected to start on a regular basis, so Berti could end up finding himself on the bench more frequently. Berti's ability to play all over the infield and outfield should at least keep him in the mix for a handful of starts per week as other players get days off or miss time due to injury.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Cruz (ankle) could begin a rehab assignment later this month, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Tomczyk has been unwilling to put an official timeline on Cruz's return while the young shortstop works back from surgery to address a fractured left ankle he sustained April 9, but the organization remains confident the 24-year-old will return to the big club at some point in 2023. According to Jerry DiPaola of TribLive.com, Tomczyk said last week that Cruz has been able to move on the field laterally to corral groundballs and was also playing catch out to 150 feet. Cruz still has a few hurdles to clear -- notably, taking live batting practice, running the bases and taking part in full fielding drills -- before beginning a rehab assignment, but he could realistically be ready to report to an affiliate at some point in the second half of August.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk confirmed Wednesday that Marcano will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

An official timeline for Marcano's return likely won't be established until the procedure is performed, but ACL surgeries often entail a recovery process of anywhere between six and 12 months. With that in mind, Marcano may face an uphill battle to gain full clearance for the start of spring training, unless he makes remarkable progress in his recovery over the offseason. Marcano will conclude the 2023 campaign with a .233/.276/.356 slash line to go with three home runs and five stolen bases over 220 plate appearances for Pittsburgh.

Arcia went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Angels.

The bottom of the order did most of the damage for Atlanta, as No. 8 hitter Arcia lofted a Jacob Webb fastball over the fence in left-center field in the seventh inning, sandwiched between two solo shots by No. 9 hitter Michael Harris in the fifth and seventh. Arcia has caught fire again since the All-Star break, slashing .302/.362/.566 over the last 16 games with four of his 11 homers on the season.

Williams went 2-for-3 with a double Tuesday against the Tigers.

Williams has started four of the last five games at shortstop, pairing up with Liover Peguero to make up the Pirates' middle infield. That leaves Nick Gonzales as the odd man out for the time being, though Pittsburgh has shuffled playing time at the positions regularly this season. Williams is regarded as a big-league player primarily for his defense, and he has three hits through the first 12 at-bats of his big-league career.

Crawford went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Crawford has gone 4-for-12 with three RBI over three games since he returned from a knee injury that sent him to the injured list. The shortstop has a .214/.286/.348 slash line with six homers, 29 RBI, 24 runs scored and three stolen bases over 68 contests this season. With Marco Luciano back at Triple-A Sacramento, Crawford should retain his spot as the Giants' primary shortstop at least until Thairo Estrada (hand) is activated.

Swanson went 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI in Tuesday's 20-9 win over the Reds.

Chicago exploded on offense and Swanson was a big part of it, hitting his 14th and 15th home runs of the season a night after hitting his 13th home run of the year. The shortstop had a solid July with an .846 OPS and four home runs across 14 games, and he's off to a promising start in August.

The Giants optioned Luciano to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Luciano played in four games during the first MLB stint of his career, going 3-for-11 with two runs scored and five strikeouts. He'll be sent to Triple-A in order to create space for the recently-acquired AJ Pollock, who was added to the Giants' active roster Tuesday. Assuming Luciano continues to shine in the minors, it's likely the 21-year-old prospect returns to San Francisco later this season.

The Diamondbacks optioned Castillo to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday.

A day after coming up from the minors, Castillo will head right back to Triple-A after going 0-for-1 during Monday's contest. Castillo holds an impressive .892 OPS in Reno this season, so there's a good chance he returns to Arizona later this summer if he continues to produce.