MLB Player News

Swanson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-2 win over the Nationals.

Swanson recorded his second consecutive multi-hit performance Friday and gave Atlanta some late-game insurance with his 21st homer of the season. Across 11 games since the start of August, the shortstop has hit .357 with a home run, three doubles, eight runs, five RBI and two stolen bases.

Crawford isn't starting Friday against Colorado, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Crawford inked a two-year contract extension Friday, but he'll get a day off after going 9-for-20 with a home run, three doubles, five RBI and four runs across the last five games. Thairo Estrada will start at shortstop and bat eighth.

Story (forearm) isn't starting Friday's game against the Giants, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Story exited Thursday's game against San Francisco after he was hit by a pitch in the forearm, but the injury isn't believed to be serious. However, he'll be held out of the lineup for at least one game while Brendan Rodgers (hand) returns to action as the shortstop and Garrett Hampson starts at second base.

Baez was placed on the 10-day injured list with back spasms Friday, retroactive to Aug. 12.

Baez had been out of the lineup since he left Sunday's game against the Phillies, and he'll have additional time to recover after he was diagnosed with back spasms. Since Francisco Lindor (oblique) remains sidelined, Jonathan Villar should take over as the primary shortstop, while J.D. Davis will likely see increased time at third base. It's not yet clear whether Baez will be forced to spend more than the minimum of 10 days on the IL.

Crawford signed a two-year, $32 million contract extension with the Giants on Friday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Crawford is on pace for a career year in 2021, as he's slashing .296/.364/.540 with 19 home runs, 69 RBI, 58 runs and nine stolen bases in his 11th season with the Giants. His contract extension will keep him in San Francisco through the 2023 season.

Baez (back) is not in the lineup Friday against the Dodgers, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

Baez hasn't been in the lineup since Sunday as he continues to deal with tightness in his lower back. His only appearance during that stretch came as a pinch hitter Wednesday. Jonathan Villar will receive another start at shortstop in his place for the Mets.

DeJong went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer and two strikeouts in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Pirates.

DeJong has now logged extra-base hits in each of the last three games, and his home run in the fourth inning was his 16th of the season. The 28-year-old has also crossed the plate in four of his last five appearances, and he's gone 6-for-19 with two homers, two doubles, five runs and five RBI during that time.

Story was removed from Thursday's game against the Giants as a result of being hit by a pitch in the forearm, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Story was hit by the pitch in the fourth inning, but he remained in the game for another plate appearance in the sixth frame. That suggests the injury isn't serious, which was confirmed by manager Bud Black after the game. Though the team may be cautious, it appears that Story should be able to return at some point during the team's weekend series against San Francisco.

Swanson went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base in a loss to Cincinnati on Thursday.

Swanson opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning, the only run Atlanta would score off of Cincinnati starter Vladimir Gutierrez. Swanson also swiped second base following his hit, picking up his ninth steal in 12 attempts this season. Swanson has yet to hit a home run during the month of August, but he's hitting .368 with a 1.009 OPS over his last 15 contests.

Ahmed is not in the lineup Thursday against the Padres.

Ahmed has remained a consistent presence in the lineup, even as the team has begun to skew playing time towards younger players. He's also hit well since the calendar flipped to August, maintaining a .263 average while driving in six and scoring five runs across 10 games. However, Josh Rojas will start at shortstop Thursday while Josh VanMeter enters the lineup at second base.