MLB Player News

Duran was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.

Duran appeared to be in line for a reduced role with the Rangers since Josh Jung is expected to make his major-league debut Friday. However, Duran will ultimately be sent to the minors after Josh Smith was recalled from Round Rock following a strong performance at Triple-A over the last two and a half weeks. Duran has hit .236 with five homers, 25 runs, 25 RBI and four stolen bases over 58 big-league games this season but should see regular at-bats in the minors.

Smith was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.

Smith was sent to Round Rock on Aug. 21, and he slashed .386/.491/.727 with two homers, two triples, five doubles, 15 RBI, 14 runs and a stolen base over 11 games following his demotion. He'll rejoin the major-league club after Ezequiel Duran was sent down Thursday but will likely have to compete for playing time at third base since Josh Jung is expected to be called up by the Rangers on Friday.

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

Rojas is 3-for-14 with four strikeouts through five games in September and will take a seat for Thursday's series finale in Philadelphia. Joey Wendle will shift to shortstop while Brian Anderson starts at the hot corner.

Franco (wrist) could be activated as soon as Friday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

According to president of baseball operations Erik Neander, Wednesday's rehab game was a big step for Franco after his progress seemed to stall earlier in the week. The young shortstop is 6-for-11 with a double, a walk and zero strikeouts in three rehab games with Durham.

Duran could experience a reduction in playing time when the Rangers call up prospect Josh Jung, who will make his debut Friday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Duran made his MLB debut June 4 and played mostly at third base since, but that position is expected to be Jung's in preparation for what should be full-time job in 2023. Duran can also play second base but is blocked by Marcus Semien; he has experience in the outfield, but Bubba Thompson has emerged as a potential everyday player in left field while Leody Taveras is making a home in center. Duran may revert to a super-utility role.

Crawford went 2-for-4 with a double in Wednesday's 9-6 loss against the White Sox.

Crawford tallied a double off righty starter Michael Kopech with two outs in the fourth, serving as the last batter of the day for Kopech. This snapped a 14-game stretch without an extra-base hit for the shortstop. The 27-year-old recorded a .167 average and a .447 OPS over 50 plate appearances during that span.

Witt went 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Guardians.

Witt showed some patience at the plate Wednesday, which is solid given his 5.1 percent walk rate for the year. He attempted a steal in the first inning but was caught, only to successfully record a theft in the eighth. The rookie infielder has had some struggles with consistency at times, but he's at 20 home runs, 27 steals in 33 attempts, 70 RBI, 69 runs scored and a .246/.291/.438 slash line through 127 contests overall. He's hit safely in 14 of his last 18 games.

Diaz (groin) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

He'll presumably stick with Sugar Land through the weekend and get exposure to a few different positions before the Astros potentially activate him from the 10-day injured list early next week. Prior to being shut down with the left groin injury, Diaz had been serving as Houston's primary starter in left field, but it's unclear if he'll immediately recapture a regular role once reinstated. Trey Mancini would represent Diaz's top threat for playing time.

Marcano isn't starting the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Mets.

Marcano is resting after he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout during the first game of the twin bill. Jack Suwinski will start in left field and bat sixth.

Abrams is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

With southpaw Jordan Montgomery on the bump, the lefty-hitting Abrams will give way to Ildemaro Vargas at shortstop. Abrams started each of the past five games and went 7-for-20 to bring his batting average up to .226 for the season.