MLB Player News

Neto (back) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Neto will be relegated to the bench for the seventh time in eight games while he continues to manage a stiff back. Luis Rengifo will once again serve as the Angels' leadoff man in the rookie's stead, while Andrew Velazquez fills in for Neto at shortstop.

Anderson went 3-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Guardians.

He hadn't gone yard in over a calendar year, but Anderson ended the drought by driving a Logan Allen fastball deep to left field in the first inning. The shortstop appears to be on the trade block with the deadline approaching, so he's picked the right time to catch fire at the plate -- since the All-Star break, Anderson's slashing .351/.413/.439, a far cry from his .245/.286/.293 line on the season.

Witt went 4-for-5 with a triple, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Saturday's 10-7 win over the Twins.

The 23-year-old continues to rake, putting together his second straight four-hit effort and fifth multi-hit performance in the last seven games. Witt is slashing .330/.350/.649 in a blistering July with six of his 18 homers and six of his 29 steals on the season, along with 12 runs and 21 RBI in 23 contests.

Franco went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base Saturday against the Astros.

Franco went deep in the eighth inning to record his 12th homer of the season, and the first in his last 15 starts. He entered Saturday's game hitting only .145 in that span to go along with three RBI and four runs scored. Franco also snapped a 16-game stretch without a stolen base, and his 29 swiped bags on the season have been his primary source of fantasy value.

Seager (thumb) received a cortisone injection Friday and could start swinging a bat within the next couple days, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 29-year-old landed on the injured list July 22 with a sprained right thumb, and he's nearing his return to baseball activities after briefly sporting a splint. Seager initially believed his absence wouldn't last more than two weeks, and a return next weekend against the Marlins still appears possible if he's able to swing with no issues early this week.

Duran isn't in the Rangers' lineup Saturday against the Padres.

Duran is slashing just .154/.250/.256 across 44 plate appearances since the All-Star break, so he'll take Saturday off to regroup. Josh Smith will start at shortstop in Duran's place and bat ninth.

Neto (back) isn't in the Angels' lineup Saturday against Toronto, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

Neto was scratched from Friday's lineup due to his nagging back stiffness issue, and it will keep him out for at least one more game Saturday. Luis Rengifo will fill in at shortstop, allowing Michael Stefanic to start at second base and bat ninth.

Pena went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base Friday against the Rays.

Pena enjoyed a productive game, nabbing his 10th stolen base of the season and second since the return from the All-Star break. Despite hitting second in the order in seven of the team's last nine games, he has also shown few signs of improvement at the plate by hitting .206 with only two RBI and four runs scored in that span. Pena has had a disappointing season overall, as he's maintained only an 82 wRC+ and .289 wOBA across 391 plate appearances for the campaign.

Smith (back) started at shortstop in Triple-A Las Vegas' loss to Sugar Land on Friday and played five innings, going 1-for-2.

Smith made his rehab debut with the Aviators on Thursday as the designated hitter, so the fact he was able to not only play on back-to-back days, but also log five innings in the field while doing so, was certainly encouraging. Smith has been sidelined since mid-June with his back strain, so he likely needs at least several more rehab games before he's fully back in sync physically and mentally.

Story (elbow) went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run for Triple-A Worcester on Friday.

Story played the field once again and is looking ready to be activated. The Red Sox's official site indicates Story could be activated when the team begins a homestand next Friday against the Blue Jays.