MLB Player News

Story (elbow) started at shortstop and went 2-for-3 with a double and was hit by a pitch for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.

Story, who moved up to the WooSox after playing three rehab games at Double-A Portland, has served in the field for three of the four rehab games thus far. Red Sox manager Alex Cora suggested Story could return to Boston this coming weekend, and MLB.com reports he'll start at shortstop immediately upon his activation from the injured list. It had been speculated that Story would initially serve as the designated hitter before playing the field.

Luciano is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in his major-league debut Wednesday versus the Athletics, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Luciano was called up Wednesday afternoon from Triple-A Sacramento, where he had slashed .292/.370/.625 in 27 plate appearances since being promoted from Double-A Richmond earlier this month. He is only 21 years old and doesn't offer a ton of current counting-stats upside, but his arrival represents an exciting new chapter in San Francisco and it wouldn't be a shock if the highly-touted prospect is able to provide an immediate spark for a Giants team that ranks bottom-third in most offensive categories.

Duran is starting at shortstop and batting second in Wednesday's game versus the Astros.

Travis Jankowski hit second in the first four games without Corey Seager (thumb) against right-handers, but with lefty Framber Valdez toeing the rubber Wednesday, it's Duran elevated to the two hole. It's the first time since June 14 that he's batted higher than sixth.

Diaz entered Tuesday's loss to the Giants as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and remained in the game at shortstop, going 1-for-1 with a run scored.

Diaz led off the eighth with a pinch-hit knock and ended up scoring the game-tying run on JJ Bleday's single later in the frame. The veteran infielder is carrying an abysmal .211/.263/.287 slash line on the season, but Diaz has enjoyed a reasonably productive July in comparison -- he's posted a .267 average and .636 OPS with two doubles and three RBI across 34 plate appearances during the month.

The Blue Jays acquired McCoy from the Mariners on Wednesday in exchange for Trent Thornton, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

McCoy, 28, is in his third full year at the Triple-A level in 2023, having put up a .737 OPS with 11 homers and 20 stolen bases at Tacoma. He's capable of playing every position but pitcher and catcher and will provide the Blue Jays with some utility depth at Triple-A Buffalo.

Smith (back) has progressed to running the bases at full speed and is close to beginning a rehab assignment, the team's official site reports.

Smith has been sidelined since mid-June with his back strain, and it appears he's finally on the precipice of jumping into game action. Given how long he's been on the shelf -- and the fact the 27-year-old was already struggling to the tune of a .191 average and .546 OPS before getting injured -- a fairly extensive rehab assignment is likely to ensure Smith's timing at the plate is as sharp as possible.

Turner is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Orioles, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Turner is hitless in the first two games of the series and also got ejected from Monday's contest for arguing balls and strikes, so the Phillies may have viewed Wednesday as a good time to give him a breather. Edmundo Sosa will handle shortstop in Turner's stead.

Arias may need season-ending surgery on his hand, John Brophy of PinstripedPros.com reports.

He dealt with a thumb injury last year in his first pro season, which affected his performance in the Dominican Summer League. Arias flashed his upside prior to this year's injury, slashing .267/.423/.505 with six home runs and 17 steals while walking (27) almost as much as he struck out (29) in 27 games. He turns 19 in September and should head to Single-A Tampa for his full-season debut in 2024.

Velazquez went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-6 victory over Detroit.

Velazquez is now 4-for-7 with a double and a home run in his last two games after going 0-for-11 over his previous 10 contests. It's been a nice run for the 29-year-old utilityman, though he isn't likely to provide much long-term value offensively -- he's now slashing .245/.339/.347 with one homer, one RBI, nine runs scored and nine stolen bases across 57 plate appearances this season. If Zach Neto (back) is forced to miss time, Velazquez should see regular playing time at shortstop.

The Giants recalled Luciano from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

As expected, Luciano will join the Giants and will likely make his MLB debut Wednesday against the Athletics. The 21-year-old will look to bring some juice to an underperforming lineup after he produced a .292 average with two home runs, three RBI and five runs scored over 24 at-bats in six games with Sacramento upon earning a promotion from Double-A Richmond earlier this month. Luciano is one of San Francisco's top prospects and he will likely see extended run at shortstop moving forward.