MLB Player News

Martinez was promoted from Double-A Akron to Triple-A Columbus on Friday.

There has been a middle infielder domino effect within Cleveland's organization -- after Amed Rosario got traded, Brayan Rocchio was promoted from Triple-A to the majors and Martinez got bumped from Double-A to Triple-A. Martinez has started 44 games at second base, 25 games at shortstop and 18 games at third base this season, and while he got off to a slow start, the 21-year-old slashed .308/.372/.483 with five home runs, two steals and a 13.7 percent strikeout rate over his final 139 plate appearances at Double-A.

Cleveland recalled Tena from Triple-A Columbus on Friday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Tena was just promoted to the Triple-A level earlier this week after slashing .260/.353/.370 with four homers and 16 steals through 81 games with Double-A Akron. The 22-year-old infielder will give the Guardians some depth as Josh Naylor (side) and Tyler Freeman (shoulder) both head to the 10-day IL.

Witt went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in Thursday's 9-2 win over the Mets.

Witt singled in his first at-bat before coming around to score the Royals' first run of the game. He then took Carlos Carrasco deep in his next trip to the plate and added another insurance run in the eighth with his third hit of the day. The shortstop has now recorded multiple hits in four of his last six games to go along with 13 RBI, seven runs scored and three stolen bases. He's hitting .462 through three games in August.

Smith (back) went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run in Triple-A Las Vegas' loss to Albuquerque on Wednesday.

Smith's batting line was certainly noteworthy, but equally important was the fact he played a full game at shortstop after logging seven innings at second base Tuesday. Assuming Smith doesn't experience any residual effects from playing defense in back-to-back rehab games for the first time, he could be deemed ready for activation before week's end.

Duran remains out of the lineup Thursday versus the White Sox.

Duran sat Wednesday in favor of Mitch Garver getting a turn at designated hitter, and it'll be Corey Seager filling the DH role for the Rangers in Thursday's matinee. Josh Smith is playing shortstop. Seager's swift return from a thumb sprain could continue to muddy Duran's path toward regular playing time.

Volpe went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Rays.

After Wander Franco gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a homer, New York's rookie shortstop responded in kind, getting the Yankees on the board in the third by taking Shane McClanahan (forearm) deep. Volpe's begun to look a little more comfortable since the All-Star break, slashing .256/.333/.395 over his last 14 games, and while his .671 OPS on the season is disappointing, the 22-year-old has added 14 homers and 20 steals in 108 contests.

Franco went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 7-2 loss to the Yankees.

The shortstop took Gerrit Cole deep in the first inning, but it was all the offense the Rays could muster. Franco has now homered three times in the last five games while hitting safely in six straight, batting .348 (8-for-23) over that stretch with a steal, four RBI, seven runs and a 4:2 BB:K as he shows signs of recapturing his blistering early-season form.

Seager went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in an 11-1 victory versus the White Sox on Wednesday.

Seager came off a stay on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained right thumb and showed right away that the injury is no longer an issue, drilling a two-run shot in his first at-bat. The shortstop followed with a run-scoring single in the second inning to set off an offensive explosion by the Rangers. The only thing capable of slowing down Seager this season appears to be his health. He's played in only 66 games due to injuries, but he's been a powerhouse when in the lineup, slashing .352/.414/.640 with 16 homers, 29 doubles, 61 RBI, 49 runs and a stolen base over 302 plate appearances.

Witt went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one stolen base in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Mets.

The steal was Witt's 30th of the campaign, matching his total as a rookie from last season. The shortstop has gone 12-for-23 (.522) with 11 RBI over his last five contests. The productive stretch has him up to a .264/.302/.464 slash line with 18 home runs, 62 RBI, 56 runs scored, 19 doubles and seven triples through 107 contests.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Story (elbow) won't be activated off the 60-day injured list Friday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Story expressed a desire to remain with Triple-A Worcester and continue rehabbing, so he'll take another couple of days to gear up for his season debut. The 30-year-old infielder is currently slashing .250/.400/.688 through six games in Triple-A during his assignment.