MLB Player News

Franco (quadriceps) went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Franco hit second and started at shortstop but didn't play the full game with two more rehab appearances on tap this week. Assuming all goes well across his three total games with Durham, Franco could be activated Saturday during Tampa Bay's three-game series against Pittsburgh.

Castillo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Wednesday against the Cubs.

Castillo led off the second inning to tally his fifth home run of the season. After going 27 games without a long ball, Castillo has gone yard three times in his last seven starts. He had begun to lose playing time to Hoy Park -- both Park and Castillo were in the lineup with Ke'Bryan Hayes getting a day off Wednesday -- but Castillo could begin to earn back playing time given his strong stretch at the dish.

Swanson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over the Giants.

Swanson started a ninth-inning comeback for Atlanta with his leadoff solo shot off Jake McGee. The long ball was his 10th of the campaign, giving him a double-digit homer total for the fifth straight season. Swanson has also racked up 11 stolen bases, making him one of just six major-leaguers with at least 10 homers and at least 10 thefts thus far.

Story went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in a 6-2 victory against Detroit on Wednesday.

Story's eighth-inning single extended his modest hitting streak to six games, and he followed with his ninth theft of the campaign. The veteran infielder's .223/.303/.421 slash line on the season remains disappointing, but the steals combined with 11 homers and 48 RBI have allowed him to maintain a fair amount of fantasy value.

Correa went 2-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs in Wednesday's 11-10 loss to the Guardians.

Correa went yard in the first and third innings, but he couldn't get another hit after that. He's gone 11-for-39 (.282) in his last nine games, adding four RBI and five runs scored in that span. The star shortstop hasn't flexed as much power in his first year with the Twins -- he has seven homers and a .466 slugging percentage while adding 23 RBI, 27 runs scored and 12 doubles across 47 contests overall.

Bichette went 2-for-5 with a grand slam during Wednesday's 9-5 win against the White Sox.

Bichette singled during the opening frame and was stranded at second base, but he came through with a 388-foot homer with the bases loaded during the fourth inning to put Toronto up 7-0. The long ball is a welcome sight for the 24-year-old, as he entered Wednesday's contest with a .467 OPS in 10 games since hitting his previous home run June 10. Bichette is hitting .260/.306/.427 with 11 home runs, 38 RBI, 39 runs and five stolen bases through 68 games this year.

Edman went 1-for-4 with a double and a stolen base in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Brewers.

Edman hit a double in the eighth inning and worked the front end of a double-steal with Dylan Carlson after the latter walked. The double was Edman's first extra-base hit in five games, and the steal was his first since June 10. The infielder is up to a .278/.352/.418 slash line with seven home runs, 16 steals, 29 RBI, 55 runs scored, 11 doubles and three triples across 305 plate appearances.

Baez went 2-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Wednesday's loss to the Red Sox.

Baez wasted no time hitting his sixth home run of the season, taking Michael Wacha deep in the first inning with a runner on. Three of those home runs have come in the past five games, and the shortstop is hitting a robust .450 during this stretch. Baez's overall numbers are still below his usual standards, but it seems like he's finally getting going at the plate.

Crawford, who isn't starting Wednesday against Atlanta, had an MRI on his bruised left knee come back clean, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The veteran shortstop is expected to be sidelined for a day or two after suffering the injury while sliding into home plate Tuesday, but it's now confirmed he's avoided a more serious issue. Thairo Estrada is starting at shortstop Wednesday while Crawford should be considered day-to-day.

De La Cruz has a .303/.353/.584 line with 12 homers and 18 steals over 56 games for High-A Dayton.

That terrific batting line is accompanied by a not-so-terrific 16:71 BB:K. That said, he's just 20 years old with plenty of room for continued skill growth -- and for what it's worth, he's put up a 6:7 BB:K (not to mention two homers, two doubles, a triple and three steals) in his last eight games. If he can maintain something resembling that level of plate discipline, it'll certainly take a lot of the volatility out of his prospect profile.