MLB Player News

Pena went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in a 3-0 victory versus the Mariners on Monday.

The Astros were leading by one run in the sixth inning before Pena provided some cushion with a two-run, 422-foot shot to left field. The hit was just his second in his past four contests, though both knocks have left the yard. Pena is hitting only .215 on the season, but he has collected five homers, 12 RBI and 14 runs.

Franco (hamstring) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in Monday's win over the Athletics.

Franco returned to the lineup as expected from a one-game absence caused by a tight hamstring. He didn't appear to be bothered by the issue, as he singled in a run in the second inning before coming around to score. Franco has been a late scratch twice this season due to hamstring tightness, so that may be a situation to monitor moving forward. However, there are no concerns about his performance when on the field, as he's hitting .322/.341/.575 with 15 runs scored and 14 RBI across 91 plate appearances to begin the campaign.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners.

With Jose Altuve (hamstring) returning from the 10-day injured list Monday and reclaiming his spot as the Astros' everyday second baseman, Diaz's playing time is likely to take a substantial hit. He had been filling in at the position for the past two weeks along with Niko Goodrum, with Diaz starting in eight of the 12 games that Altuve missed. Diaz's versatility gives him some other avenues to at-bats, but with all of the Astros' key position players at full strength, the 31-year-old will only pick up starts when one of the regulars requires a breather.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Wendle is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Diamondbacks due to general soreness, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The lefty-hitting Wendle is a fixture in the lineup against right-handed pitching, so the minor injury explains why he's on the bench despite righty Zac Gallen taking the hill for Arizona in the series opener. Mattingly suggested Wendle could still be available off the bench, which bodes well for the 32-year-old's chances of re-entering the starting nine Tuesday.

Smith isn't starting Monday against the Rays.

Smith started in the last two games and went 3-for-7 with a double, an RBI, a steal and a strikeout. Sheldon Neuse will shift to third base while Jed Lowrie serves as the designated hitter Monday.

Manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that he expects Edman (hip) to be available for Tuesday's game against the Royals, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The 26-year-old sat out Monday's game against Kansas City as a precautionary measure after he was removed from Sunday's win over the Diamondbacks with a sore left hip flexor. Marmol has consistently downplayed the severity of the issue, and while Edman will be re-evaluated Tuesday, it seems likely that he'll return to the lineup after missing just one game.

Franco (hamstring) is starting Monday's game against the Athletics, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash was hopeful that Franco would be able to return to the lineup Monday, and he'll officially start at shortstop and bat second following his one-game absence due to hamstring tightness. Over the five games prior to his brief absence, the 21-year-old went 4-for-20 with a homer, a double, three RBI, two runs and two steals.

Crawford went 2-for-3 with a double, a solo home run, a walk and two runs in a win over the Marlins on Sunday.

The veteran shortstop continued to knock the cover off the ball Sunday, lacing his 10th and 11th extra-base hits of the season, including his fourth home run. At his current long-ball pace, Crawford will blow past the career-high nine round trippers he launched in 2021 across 687 plate appearances, as he's currently leaving the park on an average of once every 23 plate PAs.

Wendle is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The lefty-hitting Wendle is typically a mainstay in the lineup versus right-handed pitchers like Arizona's Zac Gallen, but he'll take a seat in the series opener while the Marlins clear a spot in the lineup for the hot-hitting Brian Anderson, who has delivered four extra-base hits over the last five games. Meanwhile, Wendle is in a relative cold spell, having gone 1-for-13 over his past four starts.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Edman is feeling great and the team has little concern about the second baseman's sore left hip flexor, even though he's out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Royals, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Edman picked up the injury in the seventh inning of Sunday's 7-5 win over the Diamondbacks, but Marmol suggested that the 26-year-old's removal was mostly made out of an abundance of caution. Marmol is terming Edman's absence from the lineup as more of a rest and rehab day, which should be beneficial given that Edman had started in each of the Cardinals' first 21 games of the season. Brendan Donovan will get the nod at second base Monday, but expect Edman to reclaim starting duties at the position Tuesday when the series shifts from St. Louis to Kansas City.