MLB Player News

Simpson entered Saturday's 3-2 win over the Yankees as a pinch runner in the eighth inning, swiping two bags and scoring a run before grounding out in his only plate appearance in the ninth.

With the Rays down 2-1, the rookie speedster replaced Christopher Morel at first base after a leadoff single, and Simpson pilfered both second and third before being driven home by Curtis Mead. It's the first time in 13 big-league games that Simpson has stolen multiple bags, but it likely won't be the last. He's slashing .286/.327/.306 to begin his career with five stolen bases in six attempts.

Volpe said after Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Rays that he felt a "pop" in his left shoulder in the eighth inning, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.

Volpe injured his left shoulder while diving for a groundball, but he was able to stay in the game after being checked on by trainers. X-rays after Saturday's game came back clean, but the 24-year-old shortstop will undergo further testing and is in jeopardy of missing Sunday's series finale. Oswaldo Cabrera and Pablo Reyes could fill in at shortstop if Volpe were to be sidelined.

The Rangers optioned Ornelas to Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.

Ornelas was brought onto the active roster Friday to replace Nick Ahmed but will now head back to the minors to make room for Corey Seager, who was activated from the IL on Saturday. Ornelas hasn't had much success at the plate this season, going 0-for-5 during his brief stints in the majors and logging a .414 OPS across 67 Triple-A plate appearances.

The Rangers reinstated Seager (hamstring) from the injured list Saturday.

Seager has been out of action since April 23 due to a strained right hamstring, but the 10-day minimum is all he needed to make a full recovery. He'll slide back into his usual role as Texas' everyday shortstop and look to pick up where he left off after slashing .302/.362/.524 during April. Jonathan Ornelas was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding move.

Simpson isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Simpson will step out of the starting nine Saturday with left-hander Ryan Yarbrough set to take the mound for New York. Christopher Morel, Kameron Misner and Jose Caballero will start across the Rays' outfield.

Neto went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 9-1 loss to the Tigers.

He led off the bottom of the first inning by driving the first pitch he saw from Tarik Skubal into the rocks in straightaway center field at Angel Stadium, but it was all the offense the Halos could muster on the night. Neto has hit safely in eight straight games as he quickly makes up for his belated start to the season, batting .364 (12-for-33) during that streak with three doubles, three homers, four steals, four RBI and five runs.

Sweeney went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 9-1 win over the Angels.

Sweeney hit his second home run of the season in the seventh inning, which at the time tied the game at 1-1 before the Tigers exploded for eight runs in the ninth. The shortstop is riding a modest three-game hitting streak, though he hasn't had a multi-hit performance since April 18, which has kept him from building much momentum.

Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 13-1 loss to the Mariners.

Smith's ninth-inning blast off Troy Taylor kept the Rangers from getting shut out, but that was about the only positive they could take from the game. Smith had gone just 5-for-28 (.179) over nine contests since his last homer against the Athletics on April 22. The utility player has slowed down a bit but still has a .296/.380/.457 slash line over 93 plate appearances this season. He's added three homers, seven RBI, 14 runs scored, four stolen bases and four doubles in 27 games.

Witt went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Orioles.

Witt's strikeout in his final at-bat of Friday's game halted a 22-game hitting streak, tied for seventh longest in Royals history. Witt is having another All-Star-caliber season and ranks in the top five in the American League in doubles (12), hits (39), stolen bases (nine) and batting average (.312).

The Rangers recalled Ornelas from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.

The 24-year-old will fill the roster spot of Nick Ahmed, who was designated for assignment Friday. Ornelas will provide some infield depth with Corey Seager (hamstring) on the injured list, but it'll be Josh Smith operating as the regular shortstop.