MLB Player News

Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said Thursday that Seager (back) is on track to be activated from the 10-day injured list before Friday's game in Houston, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Seager has played two rehab games with Double-A Frisco this week, and as long as he bounces back physically with no concerns, he'll be reinstated to the active roster this weekend. The veteran shortstop has been sidelined since early July with lower-back inflammation.

Seager (back) started at shortstop and went 0-for-3 in a rehab game with Double-A Frisco on Wednesday.

Seager played his second and possibly final game of a rehab assignment. He's played shortstop in back-to-back games for the RoughRiders, getting six plate appearances while playing five innings at shortstop in both contests. Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Seager is expected to get a day of rest Thursday before rejoining the Rangers for this weekend's series against the Astros.

Walcott went 1-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and an additional run scored for Double-A Frisco on Wednesday.

Normally, a rehabbing major-leaguer like Corey Seager (back) would be the center of attention in a minor-league ballpark, but he was overshadowed by Walcott. The 20-year-old phenom crushed a no-doubt, 446-foot home run into the streets beyond the fence in left field in the first inning, his second homer in as many games. Since being activated off the injured list July 17, he's reached base safely in nine of 10 contests, going 15-for-41 (.366) with four walks, two steals, three home runs, five doubles, nine RBI and 11 runs scored. Triple-A Round Rock can't be far away.

Monasterio went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and a hit-by-pitch in Wednesday's 4-2 extra-inning win over the Athletics.

Monasterio provided the margin of victory when he went deep in the 10th inning. He saw a nine-game hitting streak end Tuesday, but he bounced back Wednesday with his fifth multi-hit effort over 17 contests in July. Monasterio is now batting .259 with a .779 OPS, six homers, 20 RBI, 23 runs scored, 17 doubles, one triple and two stolen bases over 204 plate appearances this season. As long as Boston's middle infield is plagued by injuries, Monasterio should continue to have a clear path to playing time at shortstop.

Pena went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Angels.

Pena's homer in the third inning guaranteed he would extend his hitting streak to 11 games. That span has seen him go 19-for-46 (.413) with six long balls, accounting for half of his 12 homers this season. Overall this year, the veteran shortstop is batting .311 with an .866 OPS, 31 RBI, 50 runs scored, eight stolen bases and 10 doubles over 62 contests.

Emerson (undisclosed) will start at shortstop and bat ninth Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Emerson was a late scratch Tuesday due to an undisclosed issue, but he now seems to have recovered from whatever was bothering him and will reclaim his place in the lineup. The 21-year-old rookie has been in a slump at the plate since the All-Star break, slashing just .206/.222/.235 across his last 10 games.

The Twins recalled Gray from Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday.

Gray will give Minnesota's bench an extra bat following Byron Buxton's (hip) move to the injured list. Gray has slashed just .232/.271/.333 across 182 plate appearances with the Twins this season, but his ability to play any infield position will help his chances of occasionally cracking the starting lineup.

Witt (back) has begun ramping up his baseball activity, and how he responds over the next few days will determine whether he's activated from the injured list when first eligible Friday, per MLB.com.

Witt landed on the injured list for the first time in his big-league career July 22 due to tightness in his lower back. Early indications suggested there wasn't any cause for concern over a long-term absence, and the star shortstop remains on track to avoid a lengthy stay on the IL if he responds well to the increase in his baseball activity. In 94 games this season, Witt is slashing .279/.350/.450 with 13 homers, 39 RBI, 51 runs and 30 stolen bases.

Seager (back) started at shortstop and went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run for Double-A Frisco on Tuesday.

Seager began a rehab assignment with Frisco and gave the RoughRiders a 2-1 lead with a solo homer in the fifth inning. His night was over after he played five innings in the field, which is normal in a player's first rehab game. The back didn't appear to be an issue for Seager, who had to range far to his right to scoop a grounder and get the final out of the third inning, Theo DeRosa of MLB.com reports. Seager is expected to play at least one more game for Frisco, after which he could be activated.

Baez went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 14-0 rout of the Orioles.

Getting the start in center field and batting ninth in his first big-league action since April 28, Baez made an immediate impact as part of a 19-hit barrage by the Tigers that saw them put at least one run on the board in every inning. Baez will likely take over for James Outman as Detroit's primary center fielder in the short term, but the potential promotion of top prospect Max Clark looms if the organization decides to give him a look later in the season. Over 86 plate appearances this season, Baez sports a .280/.302/.427 slash line with two homers, one steal, six RBI and 11 runs.