MLB Player News

Mateo went 2-for-4 with a three-run double in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Red Sox.

Mateo provided the pivotal play of the night in the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa., stepping to the plate in a 2-2 game with one out in the eighth inning and the bases juiced to deliver his 38th extra-base knock of the season. Due to his poor .283 on-base percentage, Mateo should continue to hit near the bottom of the Baltimore lineup, but his combination of power hitting and speed (27 stolen bases in 34 attempts on the season) makes him worthy of a roster spot even in most shallow leagues.

Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Orioles.

Bogaerts tried to spark a rally in the ninth inning, taking Orioles closer Felix Bautista deep, but that was the last run of the game. The long ball snapped Bogaerts' 14-game homer drought. He's hit 10 long balls this season while adding 50 RBI, 66 runs scored, seven stolen bases and a .299/.370/.441 slash line through 116 contests.

Wendle went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 10-3 loss to the Dodgers.

Wendle has stolen bases in consecutive games, and he's up to 10 thefts in 11 tries this year. It's just the second time he's reached 10 steals in a season -- his career high is 16 from the 2018 campaign with the Rays. The infielder has put up a .257/.299/.351 slash line, but he's added just two home runs with 24 RBI and 17 runs scored through 264 plate appearances. He should remain a fixture in the lineup versus right-handed pitchers.

Edman is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Nolan Gorman and Paul DeJong will form the Cardinals' double-play tandem in the middle infield while Edman sits after starting the past three games. Edman last batted out of the leadoff spot July 27, and because he's slashed a lowly .224/.274/.328 in 18 games since, he'll likely continue to occupy a spot in the lower half of the St. Louis lineup when he starts.

The Rangers optioned Smith to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

Shortly after the All-Star break, Smith's hold on the everyday third-base job had started to loosen, with the rookie having handled more of a utility role of late. Considering Smith had started in only two of the previous five games and was batting just .206 in August, the Rangers evidently felt the 25-year-old was best off heading back to Triple-A to regain confidence at the dish and play on a more frequent basis. Outfielder Kole Calhoun (heel) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and took over Smith's spot on the 26-man active roster.

Cruz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Cruz is one of multiple lefty-hitting Pirates regulars who will bow out of the lineup with southpaw Mike Minor on the hill for the Reds. Kevin Newman will slide over from second base to replace Cruz at shortstop.

Franco was pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham on Sunday after experiencing lingering soreness in his surgically-repaired right wrist while swinging the bat, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After starting the rehab assignment at Durham on Tuesday, Franco appeared in just one game before the Rays opted to have him rest for a few days with the hope that it provide sufficient time for the pain in his wrist to dissipate. However, the four consecutive days off apparently weren't enough to resolve the issue, so Franco will head back to the team's facility in St. Petersburg for further treatment. Since he hasn't played for the big club since July 9, Franco will likely need to head back to a minor-league affiliate for game action at some point before being activated from the 10-day injured list, but it's unclear when he might be able to do that in light of the setback.

Tovar (hip/groin) will head to Arizona on Sunday to begin a rehab assignment, Danielle Allentuck of The Denver Gazette reports.

The talented shortstop has not played since June 29 due to a hip/groin injury. According to Allentuck, Tovar will complete his rehab assignment and will then be moved up to Triple-A Albuquerque for the final games of the season. The 21-year-old hit .318/.386/.545 with 13 home runs and 17 steals in 66 games at Double-A.

Chang went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored Saturday against the Royals.

Chang drew the start at second base with southpaw Kris Bubic on the mound, sending Brandon Lowe to the bench. Chang has started only two of the team's last six games -- both against lefties. So long as the Rays' infield remains relatively healthy, he figures to occupy a limited role. For the season, Chang has a .211/.276/.316 line across 127 plate appearances with three different teams.

Barrero is not in Sunday's lineup against the Pirates, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Barrero had started 15 consecutive games since being recalled Aug. 3. However, he's hit just .193 with a near 51 percent strikeout rate in that span. Matt Reynolds will take over at shortstop and hit sixth in Barrero's place.