MLB Player News

Baez went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Reds.

The Cubs had just four hits as a team, with Baez accounting for half of them. The 26-year-old just keeps hitting, as he now has a .326 average and .971 OPS to go along with 11 home runs, 29 RBI and 32 runs scored through 41 games.

Downs went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, three runs and four RBI for High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday.

Downs is swinging a hot bat for the Quakes, as he's now hitting .364 with a 1.119 OPS over his last 10 games. He's also launched four homers over that time to give him six on the season. The 20-year-old got off to a slow start, slashing .213/.276/.371 in April, but with 14 hits in his last 30 at-bats he has moved his average up to .247, and the recent power surge is an encouraging sign he's adjusting well in the California League.

Turner (finger) left his rehab assignment at High-A Potomac and rejoined the Nationals for a workout Thursday, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Turner's return to Washington wasn't believed to be the result of any setback he incurred with his fractured finger, so it could signal that the team intends to activate him from the 10-day injured list ahead of Friday's series opener with the Cubs. The Nationals will presumably assess Turner's condition during the workout before determining whether he's ready to rejoin the big club or if he's in need of more at-bats on the farm. Turner played nine innings at shortstop on back-to-back days at Potomac, going 1-for-8 with a walk and four strikeouts between the two contests.

Story was diagnosed with a bruised left knee after exiting Wednesday's loss to Boston, but he hopes to play Friday at Philadelphia, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Story collided with teammate Raimel Tapia on a play down the left-field line during the bottom of the ninth inning, and was then removed from the game. The early diagnosis is good news for the 26-year-old, and he will have Thursday's scheduled off day to aid in his recovery before this weekend's series against the Phillies.

Story left Wednesday's loss to the Red Sox in the 10th inning after colliding earlier with teammate Raimel Tapia on a play in the field, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Saunders further elaborated that Story wanted to remain in the game, but the Rockies exercised a little bit of caution. According to Michael Spencer of CBS Denver, manager Bud Black said after the game the potential issue is with the 26-year-old's left knee. The team has a scheduled off day Thursday before playing the Phillies on the road Friday.

Rojas exited Wednesday's game against the Rays with back spasms, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Rojas appeared to tweak his back while running the bases and attempted to remain in the game, but was removed shortly after retaking the field. The 30-year-old will have a full day to recover with Thursday's scheduled off day and should be considered day-to-day.

Crawford went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

Crawford took Ryan Tepera deep in the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie, providing what turned out to be the game-winning run. He now has two home runs on the season, but is still slugging just .278 across 160 plate appearances. His strikeout rate is up five percentage points from a year ago.

Herrera sits for the second straight game Tuesday against the Rays, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

Herrera is hitting just .203/.280/.243 on the season. Jon Berti starts in center field again in his absence.

Turner (finger) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Potomac on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports

Turner has been out six weeks with a broken index finger. The length of his rehab assignment isn't currently known, but he appears to be closing in on a return to Washington.

Baez went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk Sunday in the Cubs' 4-1 win over the Brewers.

Baez's fifth-inning extra-base knock drove home Kris Bryant and broke a 1-1 stalemate. After reaching base three times in the series finale, Baez's OPS now sits at a robust .987 for the season, more than 100 points better than his mark from his runner-up MVP season in 2018. It bears mentioning, however, that Baez has benefited from a .402 BABIP (career .342 mark), suggesting his .323/.360/.627 slash line should be viewed with a fair dose of skepticism.