MLB Player News

Baez is in the Cubs' lineup Thursday against the Dodgers, batting eighth and playing second base.

The infielder returns to the lineup because Los Angeles is starting left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu. Whenever he's starting, the powerful Baez should try to find his way into fantasy players' plans in daily transactions leagues, as well.

Baez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Baez was in the lineup for the series opener Monday with lefty Alex Wood on the mound, but manager Joe Maddon will opt to get more left-handed hitters in the starting nine Wednesday to counter right-hander Brandon McCarthy. As a result, Jon Jay will move into the lineup in center field, while Ben Zobrist will cover Baez's usual post at second base. Baez is off to a bit of a slow start to begin 2017, as he's batting .176 and has yet to record a home run or stolen base.

Diaz is not in the Cardinals' starting lineup for Wednesday's game at Washington, Jim Hayes of Fox Sports Midwest reports.

Greg Garcia takes over at shortstop as Diaz gets his first off day of the season. The 26-year-old is slashing .278/.278/.583 through eight games thus far, progressing effortlessly into his second full major league season. Look for Diaz to continue building off his All-Star-worthy 2016 season upon his return to the lineup.

Gordon went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Tuesday's win over the Braves.

It was his first multi-hit game of the young season, but Gordon has strung together a six-game hitting streak and is now hitting .286 (8-for-28). The speedy second baseman has a modest two steals and four runs scored so far, but both numbers should rise now that he seems to be finding his stroke at the plate.

Swanson went 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts in Tuesday's loss to the Marlins.

The rookie shortstop is slashing just .156/.206/.281 through seven games to kick off the season, with a solo homer being his only real offensive contribution. The Braves will give Swanson a very long leash when it comes to shaking off this slump, as this is expected to be a rebuilding year for the team anyway, but if his bat doesn't begin to pick up fairly soon he could be facing a demotion to Triple-A -- a level he skipped over completely in 2016.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Nationals.

The 26-year-old is quickly dismissing any idea that his performance last season was a fluke, hitting .278 with three homers, five RBI and six runs scored through his first eight games of 2017. The Cards' offense is struggling out of the gate, but Diaz has been one of the few bright spots in the St. Louis lineup.

Crawford is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Crawford will get the day off after starting the first eight games for the Giants. He's off to a nice start to the season, going 11-for-30 with one homer, five RBI and three runs. Eduardo Nunez will cover for him at shortstop while Aaron Hill mans third base.

Nelson was held back in extended spring training to rehab a quad injury, MLB.com's Mike Rosenbaum reports.

A 15th-round pick in 2016, Nelson hit .284 with one home run and seven steals in 162 at-bats in the Gulf Coast League last year.

Story is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Padres.

Story will get what looks like a regular day of rest Tuesday as Cristhian Adames takes over at shortstop. The young shortstop is off to a slow start this season, hitting 4-for-27 (.148) with three runs and one stolen base through eight games.

Camargo was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

With Matt Kemp (hamstring) landing on the disabled list, Camargo will receive his first taste of the big leagues after appearing in just three games at Triple-A this season. That said, the 23-year-old is blocked at each infield position by more established options, so he'll likely fill a reserve role during his first major-league stint.