MLB Player News

Royals manager Matt Quatraro indicated Thursday that Witt (knee) is on track to return to the lineup Friday versus the White Sox, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Witt is missing a sixth straight start Thursday against the Rays as he overcomes a Grade 1 MCL sprain of his right knee. However, he went through a full pregame workout Wednesday and bounced back well Thursday. Witt should be available off the bench Thursday before returning to the lineup Friday, barring a setback.

Parker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run for Single-A Dunedin on Wednesday.

The homer was Parker's fourth in the last six games, and through 17 contests in June he's produced a .290/.384/.629 slash line with nine total extra-base hits, six steals and a much-improved 20.5 percent strikeout rate. The eighth overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft out of a Mississippi high school, Parker needed a couple months to adjust to pro ball, but if he maintains his current level of performance for another few weeks he could reach High-A before his 20th birthday in August.

Witt (knee) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Rays.

Witt will miss a sixth consecutive start as he deals with a Grade 1 MCL sprain of his right knee. He has been available off the bench the last couple days, so Witt does appear likely to avoid a trip to the injured list. His next opportunity to return to the Royals' lineup will come Friday in Chicago against the division-leading White Sox.

De La Cruz went 1-for-4 with two walks and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Brewers.

This was De La Cruz's second game back off the injured list, where he spent three weeks with a hamstring injury. He's 1-for-7 with two walks in the two games back. De La Cruz's return comes at a pivotal time for the Reds, who have lost 14 of the last 21 games and now sit 12.5 games out of first place and 5.5 out of an NL Wild Card spot.

Betts went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Twins.

Betts led off the second inning with a solo homer against Joe Ryan before adding a double in the fifth. The long ball was his ninth of the season and his third in the last 10 games, a stretch in which Betts is batting .350 (14-for-40). The surge has been a welcome turnaround for the veteran, who owned a disappointing .196/.261/.350 slash line prior to this hot streak.

Bichette went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in the Mets' 10-5 loss to the Cubs in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

Bichette continued his scorching stretch at the plate, taking Gavin Hollowell deep for a solo homer in the sixth inning before adding a double in the eighth. The long ball was his 10th of the season, and half of those have come over his last 13 games. Bichette has hit .388 during that stretch, providing a much-needed offensive spark after a slow start to the year.

Swanson went 3-for-5 with a triple, four RBI, one run scored and a stolen base in the Cubs' 10-5 win over the Mets in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

Just hours after erupting for two homers and seven RBI in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader, Swanson stayed red hot by delivering a four-RBI performance. His biggest swing came in the sixth inning, when he ripped a go-ahead RBI triple to give Chicago a lead it would never surrender. He also recorded his 10th stolen base of the year in the ninth inning. Swanson's 11 RBI across the doubleheader set a Cubs franchise record, and he has now totaled three homers and 15 RBI through the first three games of the series after entering Tuesday with just 14 RBI over his previous 48 contests. The veteran shortstop also extended his hitting streak to six games, with four straight multi-hit efforts while batting .478 (11-for-23) during that stretch.

Wilson was removed from Wednesday's game against the Giants with a left shoulder injury, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Wilson's shoulder began to bother him after he made an awkward move to avoid a tag at home plate in the fifth inning, and the A's eventually made the call to take him out of the game in the ninth. The severity of his injury remains unknown, but the team could provide an update on his status ahead of Thursday's series finale.

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with one RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 5-2 win over Atlanta.

This was his third multi-hit effort over the last seven games, a span in which he has gone 7-for-22 (.318) with seven walks. Bogaerts is now batting .230 with a .658 OPS, 10 steals, eight home runs, 30 RBI, 32 runs scored and four doubles over 75 contests this season. The shortstop hasn't hit a homer since May 30 versus the Nationals -- the power he displayed early in the campaign hasn't held up.

Swanson went 2-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBI in a 10-3 win over the Mets during the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

The veteran shortstop launched a three-run homer off Nolan McLean in the sixth inning that put the Cubs in the lead for good, before wrapping up the scoring in the eighth with a grand slam off Jonathan Pintaro. It was Swanson's first multi-homer effort of 2026, and he may be heating up along with the weather -- four of his 11 long balls on the season have come during his current five-game hitting streak, a surge that's seen him bat .444 (8-for-18) with three steals, seven runs and 14 RBI.