MLB Player News

Smith started at third base and went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's 6-0 win over Kansas City.

Smith made a second consecutive start in the field after serving as a designated hitter for a pair of games. He had been dealing with a hamstring injury that forced him to miss four games before returning as the DH. Now that he's back in the field, the question becomes how long he will be there. Third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) rejoined the team Friday and will take live batting practice Tuesday. If all goes well, Jung could be activated off the 60-day injured list afterward. The Rangers would like to keep Smith's bat in the lineup; he's batting .304/.393/.469 over a career-high 259 plate appearances. The lefty hitter could serve as the primary DH; he owns an .857 OPS against lefties and an .863 OPS against righties this season.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that Jung (wrist) will be shut down for the weekend before he resumes taking live batting practice Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

Bochy noted that Jung has experienced residual soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist since he rejoined the club Friday, but the Rangers don't seem to view it as a setback and simply opted to have him rest up over the weekend. Jung could be activated from the 60-day injured list later this week if his wrist responds well to Tuesday's live BP session.

Miranda went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a walk, a run and three RBI in a 10-2 win against Oakland on Saturday.

Miranda belted a two-run double in Minnesota's seven-run second inning and added an RBI on another double one frame later. He finished with his fourth multi-hit game over his past 10 contests, a span in which he has batted .382 with two homers, four doubles and nine RBI. Miranda's hot bat has helped keep him in the lineup on a consistent basis between third base, first base and designated hitter.

The Yankees are expected to recall Peraza from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Peraza is expected to join the Yankees' roster for the first time this season after suffering an injury during spring training and sticking at Triple-A after reinstatement from the injured list. While a corresponding move has yet to be announced, Peraza's call-up could indicate Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) needs an IL stint after exiting Saturday's game. Regardless, Peraza should provide additional infield depth for the Yankees.

Westburg went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Astros.

Westburg opened the scoring in the second inning, but that was the extent of the Orioles' run production. The team had just four hits, and Westburg struck out in his other three at-bats. He's been solid lately, going 15-for-53 (.283) over his last 13 contests with nine extra-base hits in that span, though he's also struck out 15 times. The infielder has a .277/.331/.506 slash line with 12 homers, 44 RBI, 39 runs scored and six steals through 70 contests.

Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and a hit-by-pitch in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Guardians.

Kiner-Falefa had not posted an extra-base hit over his previous 10 games, though he hit .281 (9-for-32) in that span. The 29-year-old also snapped a homer drought dating back to May 26. For the season, he's up to six homers in 75 contests, matching his total form 115 games a year ago. He's added a .281/.325/.408 slash line with 31 RBI, 22 runs scored and three stolen bases. He had exclusively hit in the bottom third of the order, but he was batting leadoff for Saturday's contest -- a move up the order would likely lead to better overall production if he can stay there.

Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Ramirez put the Guardians ahead for good with a third-inning blast, which was his first extra-base hit since June 9. He's gone 8-for-33 (.242) over his last eight games, but he's made up for the quieter bat by adding four stolen bases in that span. Overall, the star third baseman has a .271/.330/.528 slash line with 19 homers, 67 RBI, 56 runs scored and 14 steals through 71 contests.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Saturday that Sano (knee) has been medically cleared to return from the 10-day injured list but will remain on assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake for the time being, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports. "We don't have a place for him [on the active roster] right now," Washington said.

Sano's poor performance during his rehab assignment may be a factor in the Angels' decision to delay his activation, as he's gone 4-for-27 with two walks and 12 strikeouts in seven games since moving up to Salt Lake on June 14 after five games in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. The Angels should eventually have a spot for Sano if he can find more success at Triple-A, but he won't necessarily be stepping back into an everyday role once activated.

Berti (calf) is improving and could begin a minor-league rehab assignment in a few weeks, per MLB.com.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Berti is "moving in a good direction" and added that the infielder will "hopefully" be ready for a rehab assignment in "a few more weeks." Berti is currently on the 60-day IL due to a left calf strain and isn't eligible to be activated until late July. He will likely fill a utility role upon his return.

LeMahieu is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against Atlanta.

After making six consecutive starts, LeMahieu will get the night off Saturday. Instead, Oswaldo Cabrera will play third and bat ninth.