MLB Player News

DeJong (hand) will undergo surgery to have a plate inserted into his fractured left hand Friday night, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The fracture occurred when DeJong was hit by a pitch in Thursday's game against the Phillies but he remained in the game, making Friday's news a complete surprise. No timetable for his return is yet known, but Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports the surgery should expedite what would otherwise be an 8-to-12 week recovery process. Jedd Gyorko will start at shortstop Friday, and the team also recalled Yairo Munoz from Triple-A Memphis.

Swanson (wrist) is expected to return to the Braves on Saturday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Swanson has been out since May 4 with wrist inflammation. The young shortstop has been rehabbing with Low-A Rome but will get the day off Friday before likely heading back to Atlanta on Saturday. Prior to the injury, the 2015 first-overall pick was hitting a solid .289/.336/.430 in 28 games.

Ahmed is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets.

Ahmed will be the odd man out of the infield rotation Friday with the return of third baseman Jake Lamb from the disabled list. Ketel Marte will start at shortstop with Daniel Descalso taking over at second base. Ahmed is in the midst of a slump and is slashing .135/.164/.231 with 16 strikeouts in 52 at-bats during May.

Crawford (forearm) took batting practice Thursday and could be nearing a rehab assignment, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

The batting practice session is Crawford's second since sustaining the forearm strain in late April. The 23-year-old is headed to High-A Clearwater for the next step in his rehab, but it remains unclear when exactly he is expected to return.

DeJong went 1-for-3 with an RBI double, two walks and a run in a win over the Twins on Wednesday.

DeJong slogged through an 0-for-14 start to May, but he's significantly picked it up at the plate since then. The 24-year-old is 10-for-30 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI over the subsequent eight games, a stretch that includes a quartet of multi-hit efforts.

Swanson (wrist) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Low-A Rome on Thursday, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

As expected, Swanson will join Rome for what is expected to be a brief rehab assignment after getting through a second day of batting practice with no issues Wednesday. The 24-year-old, who has been on the shelf since May 4 with a wrist injury, could be back with the Braves after appearing in just one or two minor-league games, though that will likely depend on how his wrist responds to the game action. Johan Camargo will presumably return to a utility role upon Swanson's activation, which could come as early as Friday.

Swanson (wrist) took batting practice on the field Tuesday and will do so again ahead of the Braves' game Wednesday against the Cubs, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. He could be activated from the 10-day disabled list as soon as Friday.

After taking a week off to let his inflamed left wrist heal, Swanson was cleared to resume swinging a bat Sunday and has steadily increased his activity from there. If Swanson endures no recurring pain in his wrist during batting practice Wednesday, Braves manager Brian Snitker suggested the shortstop would likely head out on a one-day rehab assignment Thursday with Low-A Rome before returning from the DL over the weekend. Once Swanson is back in the fold, he should reclaim an everyday role in the middle infield, resulting in Johan Camargo sliding into a utility role.

Crawford is out of the lineup against Cincinnati on Wednesday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford will sit for the first time this month after going 4-for-4 with one double and two runs scored during Tuesday's victory. In his absence, Kelby Tomlinson will start at shortstop and bat eighth.

Arcia is out of the lineup versus the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Tyler Saladino will draw a start at shortstop for the series finale as Arcia retreats to the bench following an 0-for-3 showing during Tuesday's game. Through 38 games this year, Arcia is hitting just .213/.256/.295 with two home runs and 13 RBI.

Owings manned center field and went 0-for-3 with a walk in the Diamondbacks' 2-1 win over the Brewers on Tuesday.

Though Owings was making his 20th start of the season in the outfield, it was the first time he received a nod in center due to A.J. Pollock (thumb) being unavailable. With Pollock expected to miss 4-to-8 weeks with the fractured digit, it's likely that Owings will have to get accustomed to frequent duty in center field as part of a timeshare with Jarrod Dyson (back). As the left-handed hitter of the duo, Dyson likely stands to see the larger portion of playing time at the position, but Owings' ability to play everywhere but first base and catcher should often afford both him and Dyson spots in the lineups against right-handed pitching. While Owings' versatility is a nice asset, he'll need to improve upon his weak .204/.268/.319 season line before fantasy owners can keep him active with much confidence.