MLB Player News

Smith went 3-for-5 with two RBI on Wednesday against the Rockies.

Smith opened and closed the Astros' scoring with a pair of singles in the first and sixth innings. He now has five multi-hit games in his last six starts, delivering eight RBI and five runs scored in that span. After a slow start to the season, Smith has an impressive .285/.355/.430 line across 276 plate appearances.

The Guardians are expected to recall Cantillo from Triple-A Columbus to start Thursday's game against the Cubs in Chicago, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Cantillo will be entering the rotation as a replacement for Luis L. Ortiz, who was placed on leave Thursday per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation. Ortiz will remain on leave through at least the All-Star break, so Cantillo could be in line for up to three starts to close out the first half if he performs well enough Thursday to warrant additional turns through the rotation. The 25-year-old lefty had previously posted a 3.81 ERA in 21 appearances out of the big-league bullpen earlier this season, but he's moved back into a starting role since being optioned to Triple-A on May 27. Over his four outings with Columbus, Cantillo owns a 3.86 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 15:4 K:BB in 11.2 innings. Cantillo hasn't covered more than 3.1 innings in any of those Triple-A appearances, so he'll likely be in line for a relatively light workload in his first start for Cleveland.

Altuve went 2-for-5 with two RBI on Wednesday against the Rockies.

Altuve had gone 10 consecutive starts without recording multiple hits, but he tallied two singles Wednesday. The latter was a two-RBI knock that gave the Astros the lead. Altuve has hit only .180 across his last 17 games, dropping his average to .259 across 352 plate appearances.

The Guardians announced Thursday that Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation.

Major League Baseball hasn't released any specifics regarding the nature of the investigation, though Tim Stebbins of MLB.com relays that Ortiz will be on "non-disciplinary paid leave" through the All-Star break, according to a statement from the league. Ortiz had been scheduled to start Thursday's game against the Cubs, but left-hander Joey Cantillo will instead be called up from Triple-A Columbus to start the series finale in Chicago. After being acquired from the Pirates over the winter, Ortiz has been an adequate mid-rotation arm for Cleveland this season, posting a 4-9 record, 4.36 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 96:42 K:BB over 88.2 innings.

Meyers went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored Wednesday against the Rockies.

Meyers has progressively moved up the Astros' order, in part due to injuries and in part due to his strong performance. He's now hit second in the lineup in four straight games, and he's reached base at a .353 clip with four runs scored and a stolen base in that short sample. Meyers has had a breakout season at the plate, maintaining a .302 average with 14 stolen bases across 307 plate appearances.

Whitcomb went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Rockies.

Whitcomb was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, after Jeremy Pena (rib) was placed on the injured list. Whitcomb was in the lineup Wednesday as the designated hitter while slotting into the eighth spot in the lineup. He took advantage of the opportunity by slugging his first career home run in the second inning. Whitcomb looks to be in a reserve role, but he could continue to get sporadic looks at a combination of shortstop and designated hitter.

Jeffers is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Marlins.

Jeffers will be rested for Thursday's matinee after he went 0-for-3 while catching all nine innings of the Twins' 2-1 win Wednesday night. Christian Vazquez will get the nod behind the plate in the series finale, forming a battery with starting pitcher David Festa.

Correa is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Marlins.

The Twins and Marlins are closing their series with a day game after a night game, so Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli likely viewed Thursday as an optimal time to give Correa a breather, after the shortstop started in each of the past 23 games. Though the oft-injured Correa has proven to be relatively durable thus far with 74 starts through the Twins' first 87 games, he's in the midst of the worst offensive season of his career, batting .259 with seven home runs, 32 runs and 29 RBI.

Shuster (finger) threw one scoreless inning in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Shuster has been on the injured list since June 8 with a blister on his left hand. He should return to the White Sox bullpen prior to the All-Star break. Shuster has struggled across 15.2 innings this season, allowing 14 earned runs paired with a 12:5 K:BB.

Perez (elbow) has progressed to throwing bullpen sessions, MLB.com reports.

Perez landed on the injured list after only four starts this season and has been engaged in a lengthy rehab process. He is hoping to begin a rehab assignment by early August, which could line him up to return for the final month of the campaign.