MLB Player News

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Mets on Friday.

The veteran infielder uncorked a 383-foot shot to left field in the fifth inning for his first round-tripper in an Athletics uniform. The multi-hit effort was only the second of the season for Diaz, who'd been mired in a 1-for-18 funk over the previous five games and had recorded just one extra-base hit in his first 12 contests.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Friday that Story (elbow) has begun playing catch, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

The manager could not put a strict timetable on Story's return, but it's reasonable to expect him to be playing at some point following the All-Star break. Story underwent a procedure in January, which was described as an internal bracing of the right ulnar collateral ligament.

Smith started at shortstop and went 0-for-4 with a sacrifice bunt in Friday's 6-2 win over the Astros.

Smith started once again for the injured Corey Seager (hamstring), slotting in at second in the order. That was Seager's spot in the order, and it appears Texas manager Bruce Bochy wants to limit disruption to the normal batting order. Smith is not expected to replace Seager's production, but he does handle the bat well, as evidenced by his fifth-inning bunt that moved runners and set up Nathaniel Lowe's two-run single. With Houston scheduled to start another righty Saturday, Smith should make a third straight start. The righty-hitting Ezequiel Duran could start at shortstop Sunday, when Astros lefty Framber Valdez is projected to start, the Rangers' first game against a southpaw since Seager's injury.

Berti went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Friday's 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Moved up to the leadoff spot for the first time this season, Berti swiped his fourth bag of the year, with all four coming in the last five games. As he did in 2022, the 33-year-old is making an impact in a hurry on the basepaths with consistent playing time, and since Joey Wendle (ribs) was injured, Berti's gone 9-for-31 (.290) with a home run, four RBI and six runs in nine games.

Lindor went 2-for-5 with one double, one home run, a walk, seven RBI and three runs scored in Friday's victory over the Athletics.

Lindor's 439-foot grand slam broke the game open, extending the Mets' lead to 6-0 in the top of the second inning. The star shortstop's seven RBI also set a new career high. The 29-year-old was only hitting .227 coming into the contest. The speedy veteran will look to build on this effort, and in turn re-establish himself as one of the more dangerous threats in the Mets' lineup.

Witt went 3-for-4 in Friday's 10-3 loss to Atlanta.

Witt's slow start to the season is quickly becoming a fading memory, as he's gone 9-for-17 (.529) over his last four games. While he didn't directly generate any run-scoring plays, it's good to see the shortstop swinging the bat well. He's up to a .269/.321/.423 slash line with two home runs, five stolen bases, six RBI and six runs scored through 14 contests.

Volpe went 1-for-3 with a walk, two strikeouts and the first home run of his big-league career Friday against the Twins.

It was a 394-foot solo shot with a 99.8 mph exit velocity. Volpe's strikeout rate is now 34 percent on the year, but at least his 12.8 percent walk rate is strong and he's providing solid defense at shortstop. He has hit leadoff in two of the three games since DJ LeMahieu (quad) has been sidelined, but LeMahieu is expected back Saturday.

Arcia (wrist) will be re-evaluated in 10-14 days, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

There's no firm timeline for his return, but Atlanta will assess his progress in a couple weeks. Bowman notes that Nick Castellanos spent 16 days on the injured list with a similar microfracture in 2021, but his injury was to his top hand (on the bat), while Arcia's injury is to his lower hand. Vaughn Grissom is starting at shortstop and hitting seventh Friday against the Royals.

Swanson (side) is back in the lineup Friday versus the Dodgers.

Swanson sat out of Wednesday's series finale against the Mariners due to a side issue, but it doesn't appear to have been anything serious. He is at shortstop and batting second Friday for the Cubs.

Rojas (hamstring) is in the lineup Friday against the Cubs.

Rojas made an early exit from Wednesay's series finale against the Giants due to a cramp in his left hamstring, but all is well following Thursday's scheduled team off day. He'll start at shortstop and bat seventh versus the Cubs and lefty Justin Steele.