MLB Player News

Swanson went 3-for-3 with a walk, two home runs and four RBI in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Swanson took Michael Kopech deep in the second inning with a runner on, then touched up Kopech again in the fourth inning with a solo shot. The shortstop now has 12 home runs this year, with a third of them coming in the last 11 games. Swanson seems to be heating up and could enjoy a strong finish to his first season with the Cubs.

The Pirates selected Williams from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

With Tucupita Marcano (knee) landing on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Williams will be called upon to add depth to the Pirates' infield unit. Williams has been impressive during his time in Triple-A, slashing .305/.384/.531 across 148 plate appearances, though he likely won't receive many starts while with the big-league club.

Pittsburgh placed Marcano on the 60-day injured list Tuesday with a right knee ligament injury, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Marcano had to be carried off the field Monday after injuring his knee on a play at third base. He won't be eligible to return from the 60-day IL until late September and could very well be done for the season. The young infielder had slashed .233/.276/.356 with three homers and five steals through 75 major-league games this year for the Pirates.

Perdomo is not in the starting lineup Tuesday versus the Cardinals.

Perdomo will take a seat after he went 2-for-6 with a triple, an RBI, two walks and two runs scored while starting the last two contests. Nick Ahmed will replace him at shortstop and bat seventh against St. Louis.

Neto (back) was scratched from the Angels' lineup Tuesday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

He had been slated to return to action following a two-game absence with a back issue, but manager Phil Nevin decided to give the rookie one more day. Neto is expected back Wednesday, but Andrew Velazquez will enter the lineup at shortstop Tuesday and Luis Rengifo will move up to the leadoff spot.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Tuesday wouldn't rule out a return this weekend for Story (elbow) if the shortstop says he's ready, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Story is currently slated to play shortstop Tuesday, serve as the designated hitter Wednesday and then return to shortstop Thursday in his first three rehab games at Triple-A Worcester. He has already played three rehab contests at Double-A Portland, going 2-for-8 with a home run. Cora did indicate that Story's timing is off at the plate and they didn't want to rush the infielder back, so a return this weekend might be a bit of a push. It shouldn't be long, though.

Neto (back) is playing shortstop and batting leadoff in his return to the lineup Tuesday in Detroit, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

Neto missed Saturday's and Sunday's games versus the Pirates due to lower-back tightness but is ready to go following Monday's off day. The rookie shortstop has slugged two home runs in seven games since the All-Star break.

The Pirates will call up Williams from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Acquired from the Rays in June for Robert Stephenson, Williams has been raking to the tune of a .305/.384/.531 batting line with seven homers and three steals through 36 games with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate. The 24-year-old can play both shortstop and second base, and he could get opportunities at both spots in the Pirates' struggling infield. He was the 37th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft but mostly underwhelmed during his time in the Tampa Bay system. He hit .237/.314/.417 in 42 games earlier this season with Triple-A Durham prior to being traded.

Tovar went 3-for-5 with a stolen base Monday against the Nationals.

Tovar managed only his second multi-knock game across 16 games in July, during which he's hit .226 with a 31.3 percent strikeout rate. As could be expected for a 21-year-old rookie, he has been inconsistent this season, as he endured a poor April before turning things around in the early summer. Tovar remains locked into everyday playing time, though he has been hitting in the bottom third of the lineup when the rest of the starting nine is healthy.

Smith started in left field and went 1-for-4 with a walk, a home run and an additional run scored in Monday's 10-9 loss to Houston.

Smith's fourth-inning solo shot was his first in 23 games and fourth of the season. The seldom-used utility player made a second consecutive start, as the Rangers deal with injuries to Corey Seager (thumb) and Adolis Garcia (hand).