MLB Player News

Barrero is expected to cede the Reds' everyday shortstop duties to Matt McLain, who will be called up from Triple-A Louisville ahead of Monday's game against the Rockies, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Even while McLain had been in the minors, Barrero was already beginning to lose traction as the Reds' clear-cut top shortstop, as both he and Kevin Newman had made three starts apiece at the position over the past six games. Neither Barrero nor Newman have impressed defensively at shortstop this season, and while McLain isn't regarded as a polished defender at the position either and probably profiles as a second baseman over the long haul, the Reds are hoping the toolsy 23-year-old can provide an offensive upgrade over Barrero (.618 OPS in 104 plate appearances) and Newman (.596 OPS in 99 plate appearances). Newman is likely to remain a utility infielder once McLain's call-up is official, and though Barrero has a minor-league option remaining, the Reds may prefer to keep him on hand as insurance in center field while TJ Friedl is day-to-day with an oblique injury.

Duran went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Sunday's 11-3 win over Oakland.

The red-hot hitting Duran continued to produce and is 15-for-49 (.306) with three home runs, three doubles, seven RBI and 10 runs scored over 12 games in May. With the possibility that shortstop Corey Seager (hamstring) could be activated Monday, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News, manager Bruce Bochy will need to find a home for Duran's bat.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said there's a possibility Seager (hamstring) is activated for Monday's game against Atlanta, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Seager played three rehab games at Double-A Frisco before getting Sunday off. He is expected to return at some point during the three-game set against Atlanta. Seager was at shortstop for two of his three rehab games, so he should push Ezequiel Duran to designated hitter.

X-rays on Smith's foot have come back negative.

Smith was hit on the left foot Saturday and was removed from the game. Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Smith was "pretty banged up" and held him out of Sunday's series finale against the Athletics. The utility player will continue to undergo evaluation.

Witt went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, a double and three RBI in Sunday's loss to the Brewers.

Witt doubled home two runs in the third and then capped off his day with a solo blast in the ninth to cut the Brewers' lead to 9-6. It was his third home run of the month and he's now posted back-to-back games with multiple hits. Witt remains the Royals' leadoff hitter despite slashing just .233/.271/.442 with seven homers, 18 RBI, 26 runs and a 9:39 BB:K over 181 plate appearances.

The Angels plan to call up Soto from Double-A Rocket City on Monday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Soto's promotion may come as a bit of a surprise just looking at the numbers, as the 22-year-old was demoted to Double-A after hitting just .157 with Triple-A Salt Lake and he's posted just a .566 OPS since joining Rocket City. However, since he's on the 40-man roster and has the ability to play a few different infield positions, the Angels may view him as an ideal utility option while Anthony Rendon tends to a groin injury. Rendon is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list Monday in a corresponding move.

The Reds will select McLain's contract form Triple-A Louisville prior to Monday's game in Colorado, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

McLain is one of several quality infield prospects in the Cincinnati system, and the 23-year-old has dominated the International League with a slash line of .346/.464/.713 to go with 12 homers and 10 stolen bases across 168 plate appearances. A first-round selection out of UCLA in 2021, McLain should receive immediate regular playing time with the Reds, and while there may be an adjustment period in his first taste of major-league pitching, he's talented enough to be worth rostering in the majority of redraft formats. He's most likely to settle in as the Reds' everyday shortstop, given that the team has struggled to get much production at the position from Jose Barrero and Kevin Newman this season.

Diaz (hamstring) went 2-for-4 in Sunday's 11-3 loss to the Rangers.

Diaz missed just over two weeks with a hamstring strain. The first five hitters in the Athletics' lineup went a combined 0-for-19 on Sunday, but Diaz provided some solid batting from the No. 7 spot in the order. The versatile 32-year-old is slashing a meager .169/.237/.225 with one home run, six RBI, seven runs scored, a stolen base and two doubles through 97 plate appearances. Despite his lackluster numbers, he should be able to find fairly steady playing time.

DeJong will start at shortstop and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

DeJong will stick in the lineup for a sixth consecutive game, with three of his starts coming against lefties and three coming versus righties. Over the previous five contests, DeJong has gone 5-for-17 with a home run and a stolen base, and that level of production might be enough for him to hold down a near-everyday role in the short term. Tommy Edman is sitting out for the Cardinals' second consecutive matchup with a right-handed starting pitcher and is slashing .163/.178/.279 dating back to April 28, so he could be at risk of moving into a short-side platoon role if St. Louis wants to open up more playing time in the middle infield for DeJong.

San Francisco activated Crawford (calf) off the 10-day injured list ahead of Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks. He'll start at shortstop and bat seventh in the series finale, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford ended up missing just a little over the minimum 10 days while recovering from his left calf strain. The veteran should settle back in as the Giants' everyday shortstop, at least against right-handed pitching. The Giants optioned infielder David Villar to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move.