MLB Player News

Baez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mariners.

With Chris Coghlan in left field and Ben Zobrist at second base, Baez will get the day off after making six straight starts at the keystone. Six games in a row actually tied a personal record for Baez from earlier in the season, so the 23-year-old is likely getting a routine day off. Baez is having a solid month of July, slashing .333/.372/.494 to bring his season batting average up to .289.

Crawford (hand) is available to pinch hit in Sunday's outing against the Nationals, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area

With this latest news, Crawford is expected to fully return for Tuesday's game against Philadelphia. Crawford has been rather subpar at the plate in recent contests and has gone just 5-for-22 over the last seven days.

Pennington (hamstring) will be activated from the 60-day disabled list Tuesday, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports.

Pennington has fully recovered from the hamstring injury that has kept him out since late May, but it looks like the Angels will wait for Monday's trade deadline to pass before activating the shortstop and thereby adding him to the 40-man roster. Once he rejoins the club, Pennington figures to serve in a backup capacity at multiple infield spots.

Diaz (thumb) was diagnosed with a hand contusion, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Diaz will have more exams on Monday to figure out the severity of his injury, but should still be considered as day-to-day. More information regarding Diaz and his timeframe to return should be available Monday after his examinations.

Diaz (thumb) will be sent for X-rays, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Diaz exited Sunday's game after his first at-bat after getting hit in the thumb by a pitch. Look for the team to provide an update on the results as soon as they are available.

Mondesi will make his sixth consecutive start at second base Sunday against the Rangers, MLB.com reports. He'll bat ninth in the order.

As was expected when he was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Mondesi has been given a crack at the everyday role at second base after the struggling Whit Merrifield was demoted to the minors. Mondesi has gotten off to a promising 6-for-17 start at the dish while successfully stealing a base in his lone attempt, but his presence at the bottom of the Royals' lineup will limit his run-scoring opportunities.

Crawford (hand) remains out of the lineup Sunday against the Nationals, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford was given the day off Saturday due to a bruised hand suffered Friday, and will sit his second straight contest as a result of the ailment. It doesn't sound like something that will represent a long-term concern, and with the team off Monday, sitting Crawford on Sunday will give him an extra day to rest. Look for the regular shortstop to return to action for Tuesday's opener against the Phillies, but his status is worth checking up on just to be safe.

Diaz left Sunday's game in the first inning after he was struck on the thumb by a pitch, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch reports.

Diaz will exit in the first inning, so it will be a tough break for any fantasy owners utilizing the shortstop Sunday. His removal will shuffle the entire defensive alignment, with Tommy Pham effectively moving into center field. Look for the Cardinals to update the status of Diaz when more information becomes available, but for the time being, consider him questionable for Tuesday's series opener in Cincinnati.

Castro was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday.

While Castro will be back with the big club, he'll likely be limited to a bench role, as he's posted a weak .182 batting average in the MLB this season. He struggled to perform with Gwinnett as well, where he owned a .264/.284/.345 line.

Story (thumb) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mets, MLB.com's Thomas Harding reports.

Story left Saturday's matchup early, but the Rockies got some good news later when X-rays came back negative and the injury was described as a jammed thumb. Although it's not likely to be a long-term concern, Story will get the day off Sunday in favor of Cristhian Adames at shortstop. WIth a team day off on the schedule Monday, Story's next chance to return to action will be Tuesday's series opener against the Dodgers.