MLB Player News

Baez went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in a 5-1 win against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Baez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and none out in the third inning and crushed a Merrill Kelly curveball 459 feet to left center for his third homer in as many games. The knock extended the 29-year-old's hitting streak to a modest eight games, during which Baez is 12-for-31 with four long balls and two doubles, upping his season line to .216/.258/.378.

Crawford (knee) is in the lineup for Friday's game against the Reds, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Crawford missed the past two games after suffering a bruised left knee Tuesday, but he's tentatively in the lineup for Friday's contest. The 35-year-old will need to go through a pre-game workout before being fully cleared to take the field, but as of now he's expected to play versus Cincinnati.

Velazquez will sit Friday against the Mariners, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Velazquez remains the Angels' primary shortstop despite the fact that he's hitting just .176/.223/.271 on the year. Tyler Wade will get the start on this occasion.

Pena (thumb) said Friday that he's feeling great, but he won't be activated off the injured list just yet, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Friday is the first day that Pena is eligible to return from the injured list, but despite the fact that he seemingly feels fine, he'll wind up missing at least one more day. The Astros have yet to specify exactly when he'll be back, but it looks as though he should return within the next few days.

Williams was added to the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old didn't start in any of the last three games, but he'll take over at third base and bat ninth after Miguel Rojas (foot) was scratched from Friday's lineup. Over 18 games since joining the Marlins, Williams has hit .200 with a double, six runs, an RBI and three stolen bases.

Rojas was scratched from the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets due to a right foot bone contusion, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Rojas was initially slated to start at shortstop and bat eighth before he was removed from the lineup with just over two hours remaining until first pitch. The severity of his injury isn't yet clear, but Jon Berti will shift to shortstop while Luke Williams enters the lineup at third base Friday.

Bogaerts will sit Friday against the Guardians, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

This appears to be nothing more than a routine day off for Bogaerts, who winds up with two full days to rest, as the Red Sox had a scheduled off day Thursday. Christian Arroyo will start at shortstop.

Diaz (shoulder) will bat seventh and play shortstop Friday against the Yankees.

Diaz missed the last four games with left shoulder soreness. He returns to a temporary starting role but will likely head back to the bench soon, as Jeremy Pena (thumb) appears close to a return from the injured list.

Wendle (hamstring) will serve as the designated hitter during a rehab game at Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Wendle has been sidelined since the beginning of June due to his hamstring injury, but he'll be able to return to game action with the minor-league club this weekend. It's possible that the 32-year-old will require multiple rehab games, but it seems likely that he'll rejoin the Marlins sometime next week. Brian Anderson (back) is also in Jacksonville on a rehab assignment, and it's not yet clear how the playing time at the hot corner will be dished out once Anderson, Wendle and Jon Berti are all healthy.

Smith is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Nationals.

Smith will take a breather after starting two games in a row following a stint on the 10-day injured list due to a shoulder issue. He went 1-for-6 with a walk and a run scored in those contests. Ezequiel Duran will get the start at third base and bat eighth in Friday's matchup.