MLB Player News

Franco (wrist) could be ready to resume taking live batting practice as soon as Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Just under a month after getting surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist, Franco appears to be roughly in line with where the Rays had hoped he would be up to this point in his recovery. He'll likely hit off a tee or take dry swings over the next few days as the Rays look to gauge whether he's fit to face live pitching this weekend. If Franco does get the green light to take BP, he could be cleared to start throwing and taking part in fielding work next week. Franco was expected to be sidelined for 5-to-8 weeks at the time of his surgery, so he would seemingly have a shot at being ready to return from the IL by the end of August.

Diaz went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Rangers.

Diaz's fourth-inning blast off Martin Perez was his second grand slam of the season and helped the Astros dig out of an early 4-0 hole. The 32-year-old was making his third consecutive start at a different position Wednesday, but he'll likely see the bulk of his opportunities in left field moving forward. Chas McCormick looks to be the primary threat to Diaz's playing time, though the Astros could soon give trade-deadline pickup Trey Mancini some exposure to the corner outfield.

The Nationals released Urena on Tuesday.

Urena, who signed a minor-league deal with the Nationals over the winter, slashed .231/.268/.321 in 142 plate appearances at Triple-A Rochester this season. The 26-year-old infielder hasn't appeared in the majors since 2019, when he saw action in 30 games with the Blue Jays.

Arcia (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Arcia sustained a left hamstring strain Tuesday against the Red Sox and will be forced to miss at least a week and a half. It's not yet clear how much time the 28-year-old is expected to miss, but Atlanta called up Vaughn Grissom from Double-A Mississippi on Wednesday, and the prospect should have a chance to carve out playing time at second base while Arcia and Ozzie Albies (foot) are sidelined.

Atlanta selected Grissom's contract from Double-A Mississippi on Wednesday. He'll start at second base and bat ninth in his MLB debut in Atlanta's series finale in Boston.

Grissom's promotion is an unexpectedly aggressive one, as he had appeared in just 22 games at Mississippi since being called up from High-A Rome on July 12. Due to his positional flexibility, Grissom will have ample opportunities to crack the starting lineup, though he will likely be most utilized at the keystone with Orlando Arcia (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list and with Ozzie Albies (foot) on the 60-day IL. Grissom showcased an intriguing blend of power, speed and contact skills between his two minor-league stops this season, slashing .315/.405/.494 with 36 extra-base hits and 27 steals in 442 plate appearances.

Seager went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to Houston.

The muscle at the top of the batting order gave the Rangers an early lead. In addition to Seager's third-inning blast, Marcus Semien (first inning) and Adolis Garcia (fifth inning) homered off Jose Urquidy, but Martin Perez could not hold the lead. The homer was the 25th for Seager, who upped his line to .250/.329/.475 over 103 games.

Schmitt was promoted from High-A Eugene to Double-A Richmond on Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Schmitt was sharp at High-A, slashing .282/.370/.490 with 18 home runs, 61 RBI and 60 runs scored across 94 contests. He'll get a chance to prove himself at Double-A for the remainder of the year. He is still likely a year or two away from his major-league debut, depending on how his hitting translates in the upper minors.

DeJong went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a hit-by-pitch in Tuesday's 16-5 loss to the Rockies.

DeJong has accumulated four of his five homers this season in nine games since he was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, his fifth-inning blast was too late to make a real impact in a brutal blowout loss. The shortstop is still slashing a meager .162/.262/.362 while adding 19 RBI, 12 runs scored and three stolen bases through 122 plate appearances, but his recent show of power is encouraging.

Bichette went 2-for-4 with two homers, four RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's loss against the Orioles.

The Blue Jays were unable to secure the win against the surging Orioles on Tuesday, but that was no fault of Bichette's, as he mashed two home runs and accounted for four of the Blue Jays' six runs. He also now carries a six-game hitting streak as he looks to finish the season on a high note. The young shortstop has been moved down to the bottom half of the lineup as he has not performed up to his standards, but as he heats up, he may move back in the top half and be in position to rack up more counting stats to close out the season.

Arcia will be placed on the injured list after suffering a left hamstring strain during Tuesday's win over the Red Sox, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Arcia gave Atlanta the lead with an RBI double during the 10th inning, but he injured his hamstring while coming into second base. He came off the bag and was tagged out before being helped off the field. The 28-year-old has been operating as the primary second baseman with Ozzie Albies (foot) already sidelined, and Ehire Adrianza is now likely to step into a starting role.