MLB Player News

Cruz went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run Wednesday against the Reds.

Cruz smacked his 15th homer of the season and fourth across 12 games in September. As has been the case for much of his big-league career, it's been a mixed bag for Cruz as he has also struck out at a 35.7 percent clip in the same 12-game span. Despite the troubling strikeout rate, Cruz has shown a tremendous ability to produce counting stats, racking up 14 homers, 44 RBI, 31 runs scored and seven stole bases across 278 plate appearances for the season.

Mateo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over Washington.

Mateo took a first-pitch slider from reliever Mason Thompson over the fence to left for his 13th homer on the season. It was Mateo's first in 20 games dating back to Aug. 20, a period in which he was slashing a meager .188/.221/.297 line through 68 plate appearances entering Wednesday. The 27-year-old's .222 average on the season has been tough to stomach, but with 13 long balls to go along with 30 stolen bases, he has still proven valuable in category leagues.

Baez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Astros.

Baez was the only Detroit player with multiple hits and obviously the only one to score or drive anyone in on his 13th home run of the year in the seventh inning. The shortstop has had a disappointing first season with the Tigers overall, though he's been better this month with a .320 average, two home runs and nine RBI across 13 games. Baez will likely come at a discount in 2023 fantasy drafts, but his track record suggests he's capable of bouncing back.

Turner is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Turner received his first day off of the season Sept. 2 and will take a seat again Wednesday after the Dodgers clinched the NL West title with a victory Tuesday. Hanser Alberto will step in at shortstop and bat ninth in the series finale at Arizona.

Story (heel), who isn't starting Wednesday against the Yankees, will likely return Friday against Kansas City, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Story is sidelined for a second consecutive game due to left heel pain Wednesday, but it seems likely that he'll be back in action following Boston's scheduled off day Thursday. The 29-year-old has been relatively productive since the start of September, slashing .286/.342/.486 with a home run, four doubles, eight RBI, two runs and a stolen base over nine games.

Smith isn't starting Wednesday against the Athletics.

Smith has gone 0-for-11 with three strikeouts over his last three games and will be on the bench for the second time in the last three matchups. Nick Solak is starting in left field and batting eighth Wednesday.

Wendle is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Wendle is now on the bench for the third game in a row, with one of his absences from the lineup coming against a left-hander (Bailey Falter) and two coming versus righties (Glenn Otto and Kyle Gibson). New call-up Jordan Groshans will handle third base for the second straight game Wednesday and could end up supplanting Wendle as the Marlins' preferred option at the position.

Story (heel) isn't starting Wednesday against the Yankees, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Story left Sunday's game due to left heel pain, and manager Alex Cora was optimistic that the infielder would be able to return to action Wednesday. However, the 29-year-old will remain out of the lineup for a second consecutive game while Enrique Hernandez starts at the keystone and bats eighth.

Allen went 1-for-4 with an RBI double and a run in a loss to the Rangers on Tuesday.

The rookie's fourth-inning two-bagger brought home Jonah Bride for Allen's first RBI since Aug. 30. The shortstop has shown some modest signs of life at the plate over the last three games, recording a hit in each while scoring twice overall. However, Allen remains mostly overmatched by big-league arms, as he's still carrying just a .205 average and .541 OPS across 81 games.

Velazquez was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right meniscus tear.

Velazquez sustained the injury in Tuesday's game against the Guardians and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after receiving the diagnosis. The 28-year-old played in a career-high 125 games in 2022 and slashed .196/.236/.304 with nine homers, 37 runs, 28 RBI and 17 stolen bases. Velazquez will soon undergo surgery and is facing a recovery timetable of approximately 6-to-8 weeks, so he should be back to full strength for spring training.