MLB Player News

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Cruz (ankle) could begin a rehab assignment later this month, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Tomczyk has been unwilling to put an official timeline on Cruz's return while the young shortstop works back from surgery to address a fractured left ankle he sustained April 9, but the organization remains confident the 24-year-old will return to the big club at some point in 2023. According to Jerry DiPaola of TribLive.com, Tomczyk said last week that Cruz has been able to move on the field laterally to corral groundballs and was also playing catch out to 150 feet. Cruz still has a few hurdles to clear -- notably, taking live batting practice, running the bases and taking part in full fielding drills -- before beginning a rehab assignment, but he could realistically be ready to report to an affiliate at some point in the second half of August.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk confirmed Wednesday that Marcano will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

An official timeline for Marcano's return likely won't be established until the procedure is performed, but ACL surgeries often entail a recovery process of anywhere between six and 12 months. With that in mind, Marcano may face an uphill battle to gain full clearance for the start of spring training, unless he makes remarkable progress in his recovery over the offseason. Marcano will conclude the 2023 campaign with a .233/.276/.356 slash line to go with three home runs and five stolen bases over 220 plate appearances for Pittsburgh.

Cleveland recalled Rocchio from Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old will jump right into the Guardians' starting lineup at third base Wednesday versus the Astros as Jose Ramirez serves as Cleveland's designated hitter. Rocchio is 3-for-14 with no extra-base hits so far at the major-league level, but he's registered a solid .291/.383/.417 batting line with three homers and 19 steals across 89 games this season in Triple-A. The Guardians have been leaning on Gabriel Arias as their primary option at shortstop since trading Amed Rosario to the Dodgers last week, but Rocchio could end up getting a look at that position while he's up with the big club.

Pena went 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored Tuesday against the Guardians.

Pena tallied his fourth multi-hit performance in his last six starts, and he's also worked four free passes in that span. He had a dreadful July during which he hit just .205, but he appears to be coming out of the prolonged slump. Pena still has only a .679 OPS on the season, primarily because he has a disappointing 10 home runs across 409 plate appearances.

Arcia went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Angels.

The bottom of the order did most of the damage for Atlanta, as No. 8 hitter Arcia lofted a Jacob Webb fastball over the fence in left-center field in the seventh inning, sandwiched between two solo shots by No. 9 hitter Michael Harris in the fifth and seventh. Arcia has caught fire again since the All-Star break, slashing .302/.362/.566 over the last 16 games with four of his 11 homers on the season.

Williams went 2-for-3 with a double Tuesday against the Tigers.

Williams has started four of the last five games at shortstop, pairing up with Liover Peguero to make up the Pirates' middle infield. That leaves Nick Gonzales as the odd man out for the time being, though Pittsburgh has shuffled playing time at the positions regularly this season. Williams is regarded as a big-league player primarily for his defense, and he has three hits through the first 12 at-bats of his big-league career.

Mateo went 1-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 13-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Making his second straight start after riding the bench for a few games, Mateo snagged his 25th steal of the season while reaching base multiple times for the first time since June 25. It's been a rough summer for the 28-year-old, who has seen his OPS collapse to .601 after he exited April with a 1.062 mark, but his defense has kept him in the mix for playing time at shortstop while his speed has allowed him to maintain some deep-league fantasy appeal.

Anderson went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Texas.

Anderson is finally showing signs of life after a sluggish first half. The 30-year-old shortstop is slashing .338/.394/.415 in 16 games since the All-Star break, with eight multi-hit efforts and two steals during that stretch.

Crawford went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Crawford has gone 4-for-12 with three RBI over three games since he returned from a knee injury that sent him to the injured list. The shortstop has a .214/.286/.348 slash line with six homers, 29 RBI, 24 runs scored and three stolen bases over 68 contests this season. With Marco Luciano back at Triple-A Sacramento, Crawford should retain his spot as the Giants' primary shortstop at least until Thairo Estrada (hand) is activated.

Swanson went 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI in Tuesday's 20-9 win over the Reds.

Chicago exploded on offense and Swanson was a big part of it, hitting his 14th and 15th home runs of the season a night after hitting his 13th home run of the year. The shortstop had a solid July with an .846 OPS and four home runs across 14 games, and he's off to a promising start in August.