MLB Player News

Franco (wrist) is nearing a rehab assignment that will begin with the Rays' Florida Complex League team, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco recently began running, playing catch and hitting off a tee. He'll begin the next step towards a return in the coming days, though no exact date was provided. It's unclear how long Franco's rehab assignment may last, but a return during the team's upcoming weekend series against the Royals seems possible.

Rojas isn't starting the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against Atlanta.

Rojas will get a breather after he went 1-for-4 with a run and a strikeout during the first game of Saturday's twin bill. Joey Wendle is shifting to shortstop while Luke Williams starts at second base.

Diaz will sit Saturday against Oakland, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Diaz should continue to play frequently in left field down the stretch after Michael Brantley underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Trey Mancini will occupy that spot Saturday.

Smith will be on the bench Saturday against Seattle.

Smith will be on the bench for the third time in Texas' last four games, but two of those have come against lefties like Saturday's starter Marco Gonzales. Ezequiel Duran will be the third baseman Saturday, while Elier Hernandez handles left field.

Wendle isn't starting the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Atlanta, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Wendle is getting a breather after he hit .214 with a triple, two RBI, a walk and five strikeouts over the last seven games. Jon Berti is starting at second base and leading off.

Pena went 3-for-4 with an RBI double, a run scored and a stolen base in a 7-5 win over the Athletics on Friday.

Pena had a good night at the plate, belting his 13th double as part of a three-hit effort. He also stole his seventh base before coming in to score his 46th run of the season. The performance could mark the end of a particularly cold stretch of play -- the rookie shortstop is slashing a paltry .220/.220/.268 in 41 at-bats in August.

Baez went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Friday's 2-0 loss to the White Sox.

Baez broke up Chicago's combined no-hit bid with his leadoff single in the seventh inning. He then stole his fifth base of the season before adding another single in the ninth for his second straight multi-hit game. The veteran infielder continues to show small flashes this season but he's yet to really put it together; Baez improved his slash line to .224/.266/.379 through 99 games.

Mateo went 5-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 10-3 win over Tampa Bay.

The 27-year-old drove in his runs with hits against Corey Kluber, including a second-inning double. Over his last 25 games, Mateo has gone 30-for-89 (.337) with 15 extra-base hits and 10 multi-hit performances. He's boosted his slash line on the year to .230/.277/.404 through 370 plate appearances.

Adrianza was placed on the injured list for an undisclosed reason Friday.

The likely explanation is placement on the COVID-19 IL. Assuming that's the case, Adrianza will be eligible to return as soon as he clears the league's health and safety protocols, but his absence will leave Atlanta very short-handed at second base behind Vaughn Grissom. Guillermo Heredia was called up to take Adrianza's place on the active roster.

Berti (groin) was activated from the 10-day injured list Friday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 32-year-old has been sidelined for nearly a month by the groin strain, but he's back with the big-league club after going 1-for-14 during a four-game rehab stint with Triple-A Jacksonville. Berti has a .271/.365/.375 slash line with two home runs and 19 RBI in 58 games this season, and even after the absence he still leads the league with 28 stolen bases while being caught only three times. Joey Wendle has settled in as Miami's primary second baseman, but Berti should still see regular playing time between the infield and outfield thanks to his versatility.