MLB Player News

Cubs manager David Ross said Saturday that Swanson (heel) likely won't return from the injured list when first eligible Sunday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Swanson has been on the IL since July 8 with a bruised left heel, and while he's been making steady progress, it will likely be a few more days before he's ready to return. Swanson has been able to hit and field grounders, but running is reportedly the main thing holding him back at this point.

Chang will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Cubs.

Chang returned from hamate surgery just before the break and started two of the last three games of the first half. He opened the second half at shortstop but will head to the bench for the second game of the series. Enrique Hernandez starts at shortstop Saturday.

Seager went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two RBI and an additional run scored in Friday's 12-4 win over Cleveland.

Seager hit the first of three Texas home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning that turned a 4-3 deficit into an 8-4 lead. In all, the Rangers belted four home runs in their comeback after falling behind 4-0 in the third. It was an explosion from Texas batters, who were held in check and went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position over the final two games before the All-Star break. Seager, who missed a month due to a hamstring injury, does not yet qualify for any batting titles, but the shortstop has an impressive line of .355/.416/.628 over 60 games.

Fletcher was outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday.

The Angels made a slew of roster moves, and they are bringing Michael Stefanic and Trey Cabbage up from Triple-A to take the place of Fletcher and Anthony Rendon (shin contusion). Fletcher scored a five-year $24.5 million extension in April of 2021, but he has logged a poor .258/.292/.325 slash line with five home runs in 237 games over the past three seasons.

Edman received an injection in his right wrist during the All-Star break, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Edman will be shut down from swinging a bat for the next few days, so it could be a while before he returns to St. Louis' lineup. Nolan Gorman has been filling in as the Cardinals' primary second baseman while Dylan Carlson has received most of the reps in center field.

Neto (oblique) is starting at shortstop and leading off Friday against the Astros, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

Neto ends up missing exactly a month with an oblique strain. He hit .355 with three home runs and two steals in 12 June games, and the fact he is back atop the lineup is a good sign for his fantasy value.

Crawford (hamstring) is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in his return to the lineup Friday in Pittsburgh, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford missed the final game of the first half with a tight left hamstring, but he's feeling well enough to play after resting over the All-Star break. He and his Giants teammates are going up against southpaw Rich Hill.

Reyes (abdomen) will remain on his rehab assignment with Double-A Portland through the weekend, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The expectation had seemed to be that Reyes would be activated for the start of the second half, but the Red Sox have opted to give him a few more rehab games. Presumably, he'll be back early next week. Reyes is working his way back from an abdominal strain, and he figures to rejoin the shortstop mix upon his return.

Barger is hitting .222 with three doubles, four walks and six strikeouts in six games since returning from an elbow injury for Triple-A Buffalo.

Barger has been limited to 32 Triple-A games this season due to that elbow injury, and he has not produced when he has been in the lineup for the Bisons. He is slashing .226/.329/.331 with two home runs and one steal in 143 plate appearances, as his development seems to have stalled for the moment.

Luciano is slashing .317/.430/.610 over his last 100 plate appearances for Double-A Richmond with six doubles, six home runs and three stolen bases.

The 21-year-old had a rough start to the season after recovering from back trouble, but Luciano has been locked in over the last month. Strikeouts remain an issue for him, as he sports a 30 percent K-rate over that stretch, but that's balanced by a 17 percent walk rate. As long as Luciano can stay healthy, a second-half promotion to Triple-A should be in the cards, and potentially even a big-league debut before the 2023 campaign is over.