MLB Player News

Wendle (intercostal) did cage work and fielded grounders Friday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Wendle is finally making progress from the right intercostal strain that sent him to the injured list back on April 4, and he appears on track to return to the Marlins' active roster sometime next week. Jon Berti has been drawing most of the starts at shortstop in his absence.

Mateo (hip) said he is available off the bench Friday against Detroit, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Mateo added that he should be feeling 100 percent by Saturday, indicating he may return to the lineup then. The 27-year-old shortstop is off to an incredible start to the season and holds a 1.683 OPS over the past week.

Smith isn't starting Friday's game against Oakland.

After a 1-for-3 performance in his last game, Smith will sit against the left-handed JP Sears. Ezequiel Duran will start at shortstop in Smith's place Friday and bat seventh.

Mateo (hip) is absent from the Orioles' lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Mateo departed Wednesday's game versus the Nationals with right hip discomfort, and Thursday's off day wasn't enough to get him back in the lineup. The Orioles are hoping Mateo can avoid the injured list and are considering him day-to-day. Gunnar Henderson is at shortstop Friday, with Ramon Urias handling third base.

Tovar isn't in the Rockies' lineup Friday against the Phillies.

Tovar holds just a .488 OPS on the year, putting him at risk of losing his everyday role at shortstop. Alan Trejo will start in Tovar's place Friday and bat ninth.

Alexander was placed on the 7-day injured list April 14 at Triple-A Reno with a broken right thumb, Michael McDermott of SI.com reports.

Alexander sustained the injury in an April 13 game, when he was hit by a pitch in the bill of the helmet before the ball ricocheted into his thumb. The shortstop is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks. The injury is a tough break for the 23-year-old, who was making a strong early case for a promotion to the big leagues by submitting a 1.410 OPS and 8:6 BB:K through his first nine games with Reno.

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in Thursday's 7-5 victory over the Diamondbacks.

Bogaerts is red hot to start off his Padres career, slashing .350/.418/.575 through 21 games. The veteran shortstop now has five home runs and is well on pace to clear his total of 15 from last season.

Tovar went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Thursday against the Phillies.

Tovar turned in his fifth hitless performance in his last seven games, and he's also struck out multiple times in three of those contests. He's only been out of the lineup twice in 20 matchups this season, so the Rockies are giving him time to work through his struggles at the plate. Particularly given Tovar's lack of experience in the upper minors, it's not overly surprising that he's had to make a significant adjustment to major-league pitching. Even so, he'll have to improve on his .180/.242/.246 line to maintain an everyday role for the rest of the campaign.

Chang went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 11-5 victory over the Twins.

Chang returned from paternity leave with a two-run shot off Jorge Alcala, extending Boston's lead to 10-1 in the fifth inning. Chang only has three hits through 30 at-bats this season, though two have been home runs. He's slashing .100/.156/.300 with six RBI and three runs scored while playing a part-time role with the Red Sox.

Neto went 2-for-3 with two doubles in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Yankees in 10 innings. He also reached base when he was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning.

The pair of doubles were the first extra-base knocks of Neto's career, as the rookie shortstop had gone 1-for-16 with a base hit through his first four games. Neto's slow start at the dish has resulted in him quickly being dropped from the leadoff spot and moved to the bottom of the order, but the 22-year-old still remains a promising fantasy commodity. Though he doesn't project to hit for much power or offer much of an impact as a base stealer, Neto boasts an advanced hit tool and should see his .158 batting average climb dramatically from here on out.