MLB Player News

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that Seager (hamstring) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list "early" during the Rangers' upcoming homestand, which begins next Monday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Seager will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Thursday, first playing five innings at shortstop and building up from there. Barring any setbacks over the weekend, he would seem to have a good shot to return to action in Monday's series opener versus Atlanta. Seager has been out since April 12 due to a left hamstring strain.

Abrams is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Abrams will get a night off after a rough game against the Giants on Tuesday where he went 0-for-4 and made an error. Ildemaro Vargas will get the start at shortstop in Abrams' place and will hit eighth.

Crawford (knee) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff Wednesday against the Rangers, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Crawford missed the last two games because of discomfort in his left knee, and he not only returns to the lineup Wednesday, but he'll also replace a slumping Julio Rodriguez in the leadoff spot. While Crawford has hit just .240 on the season, he's gotten on base at a .378 clip. His presence atop the lineup could help revitalize a dormant Seattle offense.

Baez went 0-for-5 with a steal in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to the Guardians.

Baez saw his five-game hitting streak end Tuesday, but he was able to swipe his third bag of the season. Baez had been swinging the bat well to start the month -- he's 9-for-32 with three homers in eight games since the start of May. He's now slashing .246/.306/.361 with 16 RBI and 14 runs scored through 134 plate appearances this season. Even with his three punchouts Tuesday, Baez has cut his strikeout rate to 17.8 percent, which would be a career low.

Allen is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

Allen started at shortstop in each of the previous three games but went just 1-for-10 with a walk and three strikeouts, dropping his season-long slash line to .105/.171/.132 across 43 plate appearances. Though he's been serving as the Athletics' primary shortstop while Aledmys Diaz (hamstring) has been on the shelf, Allen could be in danger of losing that role in light of his deep struggles at the plate. Kevin Smith will replace Allen in Wednesday's contest.

Arcia went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Red Sox.

The veteran shortstop has gone a remarkable 4-for-8 with two doubles in two games since returning from a nearly four-week absence due to a wrist injury, despite the fact he didn't go on a rehab assignment to shake off the rust. Arcia's .358/.414/.547 slash line through 58 plate appearances isn't a sustainable pace and is bolstered by a .436 BABIP, but the 28-year-old could take a big step back and still put together a career-best campaign at the plate.

Bichette went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's 8-4 loss to the Phillies.

He was one of the few Jays to have much success against Aaron Nola on the night, launching a solo shot off the right-hander in the sixth inning. Bichette has five multi-hit performances in his last nine games, batting a blistering .375 (15-for-40) over that stretch to boost his slash line on the season to .331/.372/.545 with eight homers, 24 RBI and 26 runs in 36 contests. The only disappointing element of his production so far has been his 1-for-3 showing on steal attempts.

Lindor went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Reds.

His eighth-inning shot off Alex Young nearly completed a Mets comeback from a 7-1 deficit, but the rally fell short. Lindor hasn't been able to sustain much momentum at the plate so far in 2023, and through the first nine games in May he's batting .242 (8-for-33) with two of his six homers on the year.

Smith started in left field and went 2-for-3 with a double in Tuesday's 5-0 loss to Seattle.

The Rangers placed primary left fielder Travis Jankowski (hamstring) on the injured list Tuesday, which opened a lane to at-bats for Smith and Robbie Grossman. Smith had been part of the fill-in solution at shortstop while Corey Seager (hamstring) works his way back, but the suddenly hot Ezequiel Duran has since taken over as the primary substitute there.

DeJong went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and a walk in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Cubs.

DeJong drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead in the third inning. That lead didn't hold, but the shortstop put St. Louis ahead for good with a solo shot in the ninth inning, his third homer of the season. He's also racked up five multi-hit efforts in 12 contests, resulting in a .350/.409/.650 slash line with six RBI and six runs scored through 44 plate appearances. He's seeing more than just a short-side platoon role, but the Cardinals' shuffle of Willson Contreras to designated hitter means Nolan Gorman will likely push Tommy Edman to shortstop more often in the coming weeks, which could limit DeJong's playing time if he cools off at the plate.