MLB Player News

Crawford is dealing with some hip flexor soreness but manager Bruce Bochy hopes to have him in the lineup Friday against the Dodgers, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports.

Crawford's hip flexor reportedly flared up during the course of Thursday's game against the Rockies. He was able to log three at bats Thursday, but he went 0-for-3 before being replaced by Ehire Adrianza. Unfortunately, Adrianza fouled a ball off his foot Thursday and is also banged up, so if neither he nor Crawford are available Friday, the Giants could have to call upon Kelby Thompson to start at shortstop.

Owings is out of the lineup Thursday against the Dodgers.

Owings received the start Wednesday with lefty Alex Wood on the bump for Los Angeles, but he'll retreat to the bench with right-hander Ross Stripling starting Thursday. Socrates Brito will man center field and bat second in his stead.

Baez (thumb) will make the road trip with Triple-A Iowa and continue his rehab assignment, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports.

Baez has been playing well during his rehab assignment, but isn't quite ready to return to the Cubs. He will continue to see everyday at-bats in Triple-A until he is recalled, which is likely to be sometime next week. When healthy, Baez will likely take on a utility role with the Cubs and could see action at second base, third base, and potentially even the outfield.

Turner, 22, is batting .467/.600/.533 with one RBI and five steals through five games for Triple-A Syracuse.

It won't be long before Turner gets the call to the bigs. Danny Espinosa, the starting shortstop for the Nats, is batting just .150 through eight games.

Mateo, 20, is batting .346/.414/.538 with three RBI and three steals through six games for High-A Tampa.

Mateo has been scalding the ball out of the gate, but speed remains his primary weapon. The speedster swiped 82 bags in 117 games in 2015.

Crawford, 21, is slashing .355/.412/.516 with one home run, two RBI and one stolen base through seven games for Double-A Reading.

The top prospect in the Philadelphia organization has posted a .928 OPS to begin the year. Crawford should make his MLB debut before the end of the 2016 campaign.

Baez (thumb) is nearing a return to the Cubs, the Chicago Tribune reports. "He's getting close," manager Joe Maddon said. "We just want to make sure he's well and feels good at the plate and seeing the ball well. But he's close."

Exactly when Baez could return is unclear, but it may be as soon as this weekend. The 23-year-old, who has played in the outfield and the infield during this Triple-A stint, is slated to play left field for Iowa on Thursday. The organization is expected to comment on the situation after Thursday's Triple-A game, so look for an update later in the afternoon.

Story went 3-for-4 with two triples, an RBI and three runs Wednesday against the Giants.

Despite all those homers to open the year, Story hadn't picked up a double or triple in the first seven games. Nonetheless, he's still your MLB leader in homers and RBI in the early going. We should see Story take off on some steal attempts before long too -- he just needs to hit a few more singles first.

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a double, two steals and two RBI in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.

That's hits in six straight for the young shortstop, and the two early swipes are nice to see after Bogaerts increased his output to 10 steals last year. He makes a lot of good contact, which helps him hit for average, but it'd be nice to see Bogaerts boost his power totals as well as his speed. At just 23 years old, he's certainly in position to do so.

Mondesi, 20, is batting .280/.333/.640 with two home runs, six RBI and four steals through six games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

This could be the breakout season for Mondesi, who has always had a bit more speed than power, though still may be developing a power stroke at his young age. He has been pushed hard by the Royals, but has not been overwhelmed at any level thus far. Mondesi is on pace to battle for a big-league roster spot in 2017.