MLB Player News

DeJong (hand) will have a CT scan on his left hand Saturday to determine whether he's ready to begin hitting, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

DeJong resumed light baseball activities earlier in the week, which includes taking swings against air. General manager Michael Girsch has said that the team expects DeJong's recovery -- which will still include a rehab assignment of unknown duration -- to accelerate relatively quickly from this point forward.

Cecchini hasn't played in any games for Triple-A Las Vegas since May 9 due to a foot injury, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Cecchini was optioned to Las Vegas out of spring training due to the Mets' ample infield depth, but he likely would have received the call to the big leagues at some point in the last month if he had been healthy. With Wilmer Flores (back) and T.J. Rivera (elbow) both having spent time on the disabled list and Jose Reyes batting a woeful .149/.213/.203 on the season, Luis Guillorme has settled in as the primary utility infield for the Mets over the last few weeks. While Guillorme boasts a capable glove, his .450 OPS barely amounts to an upgrade over Reyes'. As such, Cecchini -- a career .283/.348/.398 hitter in the minors -- would seemingly represent an appealing reserve option for the big club, though it's uncertain when he'll be healthy enough to contribute.

Rojas is out of the lineup Thursday against the Giants, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

A pleasant surprise for the Marlins through the first two months of the season, Rojas has seen his production fall back to earth since late May. Over his last 14 games, Rojas has recorded only four hits in 50 at-bats, dropping his season batting average from .267 to .228. Brian Anderson, who typically starts in right field, will replace Rojas at the hot corner Thursday. If Rojas fails to get going at the plate in his subsequent starting chances, it may not take long for Anderson to settle in at the hot corner on a permanent basis, likely affording more regular opportunities in the outfield for the likes of Cameron Maybin and J.B. Shuck.

Story went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI in Wednesday's win over the Phillies.

Story has been absolutely red hot of late, as he's notched five straight multi-hit performances and has tallied multiple extra-base hits in three of those. The 25-year-old is hitting an even .400 in June, and now sports a .270/.344/528 slash line on the year to go along with the 14 home runs and NL-leading 49 RBI.

Baez went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Brewers.

He was the only Cub to reach third base all game. It was Baez's second multi-hit performance in his last three games, but he was mired in an 0-for-17 mini-slump prior to that, leaving him with a .255/.286/.519 slash line on the year.

Crawford is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Crawford takes a seat after starting the last five games at third base. He hit .308/.438/.385 over that small stretch, potentially giving manager Gabe Kapler reason to plug his name into the lineup more regularly going forward, though his season line is still a weak .203/.276/.329. Maikel Franco will play third base Wednesday.

Ahmed is not starting Tuesday against Pittsburgh.

Ketel Marte will slide over to shortstop, with Daniel Descalso starting at second base. Ahmed is hitting just .223 on the saeson, though his nine homers (already tied for his career high) are a fair total for a shortstop.

Owings went 0-for-2 with two runs scored Monday in the Diamondbacks' 9-5 win over the Pirates.

Though Owings is expected to occupy the short end of a platoon with Jarrod Dyson in center field following the recent acquisition of Jon Jay, Owings was surprisingly awarded a start over Dyson on Monday even with a right-hander (Joe Musgrove) on the bump for Pittsburgh. Owings rewarded manager Torey Lovullo's decision to include him in the lineup, as he came around to score both times he reached base and made the defensive highlight of the night, snaring a deep fly off the bat of Jordy Mercer in the sixth inning and then doubling Josh Bell off at first base. Owings is still hitting a weak .193/.267/.301 for the season, so he'll need several more quality games before earning a regular role.

Cordoba (concussion) played his first game of the season for High-A Lake Elsinore on Monday, Bill Center of MLB.com reports.

Cordoba had been out all season after suffering a concussion in a car crash in mid-February. He's listed as being on a rehab assignment, but there's no guarantee he'll end up back in the majors once the assignment concludes, as he'd never played above rookie ball before being taken by the Padres in the Rule 5 draft prior to the 2017 season. He didn't do much to demand major-league time last season, hitting just .208/.282/.297. With the Padres having fulfilled their obligation to keep him in the majors all season last year, they can now continue his development at a more appropriate level this season.

DeJong (hand) began light baseball activities Monday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

DeJong was able to field grounders for the first time since fracturing his hand last month. He'll be reevaluated later in the week, but barring any setbacks, the Cardinals are hoping to have the shortstop back before the end of June, according to Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.