MLB Player News

Mateo went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Red Sox.

Mateo is one off the big-league lead in steals, as his theft Friday was his 27th of the year. Miami's Jon Berti (groin) remains atop the leaderboard and should be back within a week, which could keep Mateo out of the top spot, but the Orioles' shortstop is cemented as one of the best speedsters in the league. He's also done well with the bat in August, slashing .290/.353/.613 with three home runs, eight RBI, seven runs scored and a double through his last nine games. Overall, he's slashing .218/.267/.389 with 11 long balls, 34 RBI, 44 runs scored, five triples and 15 doubles through 103 games.

Witt went 1-for-1 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Thursday's 5-3 win over the White Sox.

Witt didn't start Thursday, but he ran for Hunter Dozier in the seventh inning and scored on a Nicky Lopez single. In the eighth, Witt singled and stole second before tallying an insurance run on a Michael Taylor single. Through nine games in August, Witt's posted a .273/.314/.364 slash line with a home run, six RBI, six runs scored and a pair of steals. He continues to split time between third base and shortstop, depending on where Hunter Dozier slots into the lineup.

Maurico will continue to be developed as a shortstop by the Mets despite seemingly being blocked at the big-league level by Francisco Lindor, Alex Schiffer of The Athletic reports.

"We've talked about it as an organization, I don't think we're at that point right now where we're ready to make that move yet," Double-A Binghamton manager Reid Brignac said this week. "When you got a guy [in Lindor] that's on a long-term contract and one of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball, it's going to be hard to move him off of that spot right? So at some point when [Mauricio] gets closer to being a big-league player there will be talks about moving him to other positions. The more positions you play, the more opportunity you get." Third base would be an obvious shift, but the Mets have a top prospect at the hot corner already in Brett Baty, who just got a promotion to Triple-A and is likely to reach the majors before Mauricio does. Regardless of where the 21-year-old eventually plays, he'll need to show a better hit tool and/or more plate discipline to earn a regular role in the big-league lineup, as he's slashing .246/.282/.474 with 21 homers and 14 steals in 92 games for Binghamton this season.

Bogaerts went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 4-3 win over Baltimore.

Bogaerts and Alex Verdugo ripped back-to-back doubles in the first inning to give Boston an early lead. It was the 300th career two-bagger for Bogaerts, who became the eighth player in Red Sox history with 150 or more home runs and 300 or more doubles. The 29-year-old shortstop joined Carl Yastrzemski as the second Red Sox player to achieve that feat before turning 30. Bogaerts is slashing .309/.379/.451 with nine homers, 48 RBI and 62 runs scored over 108 games this season.

Baez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Guardians.

Baez hit his 11th home run of the season in the sixth inning against Cleveland starter Zach Plesac. The shortstop has been disappointing overall in his first season in Detroit, as his .642 OPS would be his worst since the .551 OPS he posted across 52 games as a rookie in 2014. By contrast, Baez posted an .813 OPS and 31 home runs with the Cubs and Mets last year.

DeJong went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, one RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 9-5 win over the Rockies.

DeJong wasn't able to hit one out for a third straight game, but he was still a productive part of the offense. He's batting .333 since his callup July 30, with four homers, 13 RBI, eight runs scored and five doubles across 10 games in that span. He's solidified a near-everyday role at shortstop again, and the productivity should be enough to get him back on the fantasy radar.

Edman is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Edman was scratched from Saturday's lineup for unspecified reasons but started the past three games and went 4-for-13 with an RBI, two runs and a stolen base. Nolan Gorman will move to second base while Nolan Arenado rests his legs as the designated hitter.

Grissom went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a steal and an additional run scored in Wednesday's win over the Red Sox.

Grissom was elevated from Double-A Mississippi before the contest and quickly made his presence felt as the first player in franchise history to homer and steal a base in his debut. The rookie took a first-pitch fastball from Red Sox reliever Darwinzon Hernandez deep over the Green Monster in the seventh inning, giving Atlanta a commanding 5-1 lead. He also singled in the ninth and stole second before ultimately scoring on Dansby Swanson's RBI single. With Orlando Arcia (hamstring) expected to be sidelined for 3-to-4 weeks and Ozzie Albies (foot) still out, Grissom should garner plenty of opportunities during the stretch run.

Smith isn't starting Thursday against the Astros.

Smith's playing time has declined recently, and he'll be out of the lineup for the third time in the last four games. Ezequiel Duran will shift to third base while Charlie Culberson enters the lineup in left field.

Witt isn't starting Thursday against the White Sox.

Witt is getting a breather after he hit .200 with four RBI and a run over the last five games. Nicky Lopez will shift to shortstop while Michael Massey starts at second base.