MLB Player News

Cruz isn't starting Saturday against the Cardinals.

Cruz has been productive at the plate recently, hitting .455 with two doubles, five runs, two RBI, a stolen base, two walks and three strikeouts over the last five games. He'll get a breather while Kevin Newman starts at shortstop and bats fifth.

Velazquez is doing well after undergoing knee surgery Sept. 13, and he's expected to have a normal offseason, per MLB.com.

Velazquez tore the meniscus in his right knee during a game Sept. 13 and had surgery four days later. That went well according to Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad, and Velazquez should be able to have a normal offseason routine in preparation for spring training. The fifth-year pro impressed with his defense this year but slashed a meager .196/.236/.304 over 349 plate appearances, contributing nine home runs, 28 RBI and 17 stolen bases.

Crawford will sit Saturday against Arizona, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The Giants are all but officially eliminated from postseason contention, though the 35-year-old shortstop still finds himself playing a heavy role, starting nine straight games prior to Saturday's contest. Thairo Estrada will take his spot this time around.

Crawford isn't starting Saturday against the Athletics.

The Mariners are resting several starters Saturday after clinching a postseason berth Friday night, and Crawford will head to the bench after going 1-for-14 with an RBI, two walks and three strikeouts over the last four games. Dylan Moore is starting at shortstop and leading off.

Perdomo isn't starting Saturday against the Giants.

Perdomo is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak in which he's slashed .409/.417/.545 with a home run, four RBI, three runs, a stolen base, one walk and five strikeouts. He'll get a day off while Sergio Alcantara starts at shortstop and bats ninth.

Swanson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-2 win over the Mets.

Swanson's homer came in the sixth inning and put Atlanta up 3-1. It was his 23rd homer of the season and his sixth in September. The shortstop started to regress over the last month, going 25-for-111 (.225) and 33 strikeouts. During that span, Swanson's batting average has dropped from .286 to .276 largely due to a lack of consistency. Despite his recent struggles, Swanson still remains a top fantasy shortstop with his combination of power and speed.

Correa went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Friday's victory over the Tigers.

Correa's two-run shot came in the seventh inning and sent Mark Contreras home. It was Correa's 22nd homer of the season, his seventh of the month, and his first since Sept. 15. The shortstop has found his stride at the end of the season, picking up hits in all but five out of 27 games in September and slashing .345/.405/.600. During the span of this month, Correa took his batting average from .269 to where it sits now at .287.

Smith isn't starting Friday's game against the Angels.

The left-handed Smith will take a seat Friday with fellow lefty Reid Detmers starting the game on the mound for Los Angeles. While he sits, Mark Mathias will take his spot in left field and bat sixth.

Seager (forearm) is starting at shortstop and hitting second Friday against the Angels.

He missed a couple games after getting hit by a pitch Tuesday, but fortunately it seems to have been just a bruise. Seager is slashing .202/.257/.362 with three home runs in 23 games this month.

Barger was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo in mid-September and went 11-for-31 (.355) with three homers and a 5:5 BB:K over eight games.

There was no level of baseball where pitchers were able to slow Barger down this season. A relatively unheralded prospect coming into the year, he rocketed from High-A to Triple-A over the course of the campaign, posting a spectacular composite slash line of .308/.378/.555 with 26 homers and 91 steals. A somewhat high strikeout rate is the only mark against him as a hitter, but Barger was able to trim that toward the end of the season too. The one complicating factor for the 22-year-old is that he's not an especially good fielder at either third base or shortstop, and the Jays are set at both of those positions for at least 2023. For Barger to find a place on Toronto's roster next year, he may have to move to second base or settle for a utility role.