MLB Player News

Velazquez isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Royals, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez has gone 2-for-9 with an RBI, a walk and four strikeouts over four games since the All-Star break, and he'll be out of the lineup for a second consecutive matchup. Luis Rengifo is shifting to shortstop while Michael Stefanic starts at second base.

Williams went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Reds.

The Marlins ran wild against Cincinnati rookie catcher Michael Papierski, going 3-for-3 on steal attempts, and Williams' pilfer in the fifth inning wound up leading to the winning run after Joey Wendle deposited a two-run single into right field. Williams has started two straight games at third base with Brian Anderson (shoulder) back on the injured list and Jon Berti (groin) still sidelined, and he could offer some short-term fantasy value via his speed -- he's stolen six bags in 74 plate appearances for Miami this season, albeit while hitting a less impressive .265 with one homer, six RBI and 12 runs.

Arcia is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

Arcia recently completed a three-game starting streak while Atlanta faced off against a trio of lefty pitchers, but he'll be on the bench for the second straight game while Philadelphia bring another righty (Kyle Gibson) to the bump. The 27-year-old looks as though he'll occupy the short side of a platoon at second base with the lefty-hitting Robinson Cano for the foreseeable future.

Witt (hamstring) isn't starting Wednesday against the Angels, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Witt sustained a hamstring injury Sunday and will be out of the lineup for a third consecutive game. He didn't appear off the bench during the last two matchups, but he did some running earlier Wednesday and could be available as a pinch-hitting option, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Nicky Lopez is shifting to shortstop while Emmanuel Rivera starts at third base.

Swanson went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Phillies.

Swanson continues to thrive out of the two hole in the Atlanta lineup, as he's maintained a .297/.350/.432 slash line while scoring 10 times in his past nine games. Even with Ronald Acuna resting for a day game in Wednesday's series finale, Swanson will remain Atlanta's No. 2 hitter while hotshot rookie Michael Harris gets his first look in the leadoff role.

Cruz went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Cubs.

The rookie went yard in the seventh inning to spoil Keegan Thompson's shutout bid and provide Pittsburgh with its only bright spot on the day. Cruz has a six-game hit streak going, but he's still only slashing .221/.252/.442 through his first 30 big-league contests with a 35.3 percent strikeout rate. His six homers and four steals are a reminder of his impressive upside, however.

Abrams (biceps) isn't starting Wednesday against the Tigers.

Abrams hasn't played since the Padres' first game after the All-Star break, and he'll remain sidelined in Wednesday's series finale as he continues to deal with a biceps injury. His next chance to return to the lineup is Friday against the Twins.

Duran went 1-for-2 with an RBI in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to Seattle.

Duran, who opened the game on the bench after making five consecutive starts, pinch hit for third baseman Josh Smith with lefty reliever Ryan Borucki on the mound. Duran flied out in his first at-bat but gave Texas a brief lead in the top of the ninth inning with a single, giving him hits in all six games since the break. Of the five Rangers to have started at third base in 2022, Duran's the only one who hasn't been subject to the lefty-righty platoon decisions often employed by manager Chris Woodward.

Mateo went 1-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Rays.

Mateo hit an eighth-inning double, stole third and scored on a Trey Mancini sacrifice fly. In his last 11 games, Mateo has gone 13-for-38 (.342) with three steals, a home run, three RBI and seven runs scored. The shortstop is 24-for-28 in stolen base attempts this year while adding seven home runs, 25 RBI, 36 runs scored and a .212/.261/.358 slash line in 90 contests. He's already secured a near-everyday role, but if the increased consistency at the plate sticks, it would make him a more reliable player rather than a pure speed threat in fantasy.

Barrero is hitting just .208/.263/.360 with 81 strikeouts in 213 plate appearances at Triple-A Louisville.

Barrero seemingly hasn't recovered as a hitter after having surgery to remove his hamate bone this spring. While it would be capricious to completely write off his chances of competing at the big-league level, his window of doing that with the Reds is closing fast. They arguably have three shortstops in the system that are more highly regarded, with Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain just a level below him at Double-A.