MLB Player News

Fletcher will lead off and play shortstop Saturday against the Indians.

Fletcher was originally stationed on the bench, but he was a late addition to the lineup in place of Andrelton Simmons (undisclosed).

Baez went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI in a 4-1 victory over the Brewers on Saturday.

Baez scored the first run for the Cubs and later drove in an eighth-inning insurance run. The 26-year-old also struck out for a league-leading 132nd time, but the strikeouts haven't dampened his production. Baez has 26 homers and 73 RBI and sports a .289/.320/.552 slash line with nine steals in 440 at-bats this season.

Mondesi (shoulder) recently progressed to hitting off a tee, but his return timetable is still up in the air, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. "He's making progress, but it's probably, realistically going to be a while," manager Ned Yost said earlier this week. "You definitely want him back before the year's out. You want to make sure, going into next year, that he's all right. He's working diligently. I don't know. I'm hoping."

Not long after his return from a groin injury, Mondesi landed back on the injured list after suffering a left shoulder subluxation July 16. Fantasy owners were hoping for a relatively quick turnaround, but the quotes from Yost don't inspire much confidence. Despite all the missed time, Mondesi still leads the majors in stolen bases with 31 in 35 attempts.

Fletcher is not in Saturday's lineup against the Indians.

He is hitting .262/.340/.333 with zero home runs and two steals in 42 at-bats over his last 10 games. Luis Rengifo will start at second base and lead off.

Rojas (hip) will play shortstop and bat leadoff Saturday against the Rays.

Rojas left Thursday's game against the Twins with hip tightness, but he's ready to go following Friday's scheduled day off. He'll look to continue his nine-game hitting streak, a stretch in which he's hitting .387/.406/.677.

Story went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 5-4 win over the Giants.

Story took Giants starter Shaun Anderson deep in the third inning, giving the Rockies a 2-0 lead at the time. The slugging shortstop has 23 homers, 59 RBI and 78 runs scored in 97 games this season while owning a .280/.344/.545 line.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Friday's 10-2 win over the Mariners.

Friday's performance was the first multi-hit game for the infielder since his return from a hamstring injury July 22. Diaz is up to seven homers, 27 RBI and 21 runs scored in 38 games this season. It's expected the 29-year-old will fill a utility role while the Astros' lineup is at full strength.

Correa went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's 10-2 win over the Mariners.

Correa did his damage in the fifth inning, taking Mariners reliever Reggie McClain deep to extend the Astros' lead to 8-0 at the time. The shortstop is up to 14 homers, 43 RBI and 30 runs scored in 57 games this season while producing a .285/.350/.542 line.

Baez went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, two runs and a stolen base in a 6-2 victory against the Brewers on Friday.

The 26-year-old also struck out once, giving him a league-leading 131 punchouts this season, but it was a strong day otherwise. Baez will need to pick up the pace to reach his 2018 totals in RBI and stolen bases, but he already has 26 homers, putting him eight behind his career-high mark. Baez is batting .287 with 59 extra-base hits, 72 RBI, 75 runs and nine steals in 436 at-bats this season.

Gordon (quadriceps) ran and took batting practice Friday, and he's expected to start a rehab assignment early next week, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Gordon continues to ramp up his baseball activities, and he could come off the injured list sometime next week if all goes according to plan. He's expected to work out with the team over the weekend in Houston before heading out on a minor-league stint. Seattle expects Gordon to play in one or two minor-league contests before being reinstated from the IL, per Johns.