MLB Player News

DeJong isn't in the Cardinals' lineup Thursday against the Cubs, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

After going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored Wednesday, DeJong will get a breather to begin St. Louis' four-game series against Chicago. Taylor Motter will start at shortstop in DeJong's place and bat ninth.

Smith (back) is slated to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas either Thursday or Friday, the team's official site reports.

It's been a productive second half of July for Smith in his recovery from a back strain, as he began a swing progression July 15 and subsequently moved to running the bases at full speed. That ramp-up in activity has teed up his imminent return to game action, and Smith is likely to spend at least a week with the Aviators before activation is considered.

Neto (back) remains out of the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Tigers.

It will be the third straight game Neto has missed due to a back issue, but Angels manager Phil Nevin expects the rookie to be ready to go for the second game, per MLB.com. Andrew Velazquez is getting the start at shortstop for the first game.

Bichette went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Dodgers.

The shortstop has seven hits in the last two games, boosting his slash line since the All-Star break up to .306/.358/.449. Bichette's 137 hits on the season leads the American League, with only Luis Arraez's 141 in Miami sitting ahead of him, but that's no surprise -- the 25-year-old also led the AL in hits in 2021 and 2022.

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.