MLB Player News

Anderson went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Twins.

Anderson opened the scoring when he stole home in the third inning, which came as part of a double steal that saw Luis Robert swipe second base. Over the last six games, Anderson's bat has come to life a bit -- he has four multi-hit efforts and three RBI in that span. The shortstop is up to 10 thefts on the year, his seventh straight full-length season with double-digit steals. He's added a lackluster .239/.279/.278 slash line with no home runs, 16 RBI, 33 runs scored, 10 doubles and a triple, though his recent hitting suggests he may be turning things around in the second half.

Story (elbow) went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in his second rehab game Saturday at Double-A Portland, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Story began his rehab assignment with a bang Friday, slugging a three-run homer and drawing a walk while scoring two runs. It has been 10 months since he last played regularly in live games, though, so some rust should be expected. The 30-year-old infielder remains on track to make his 2023 debut with the Red Sox around the beginning of August.

Kessinger is starting at second base and batting leadoff Saturday versus Oakland.

Kessinger has made a nice impression in limited action since being called up by the Astros in early June, boasting an .890 OPS through his first 24 major-league plate appearances. Mauricio Dubon is on the bench Saturday and Jose Altuve (oblique) is likely to be on the injured list for another week.

Neto was scratched from the lineup Saturday against the Pirates due to lower-back tightness, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

It sounds like a day-to-day type of issue for Neto, who slugged a solo homer in the Angels' defeat of Pittsburgh on Friday. The 22-year-old shortstop is batting .252/.328/.432 with eight home runs and five stolen bases through his first 62 major-league games.

Seager was placed on the injured list Saturday with a sprained right thumb.

Seager is having an excellent season at the plate, with his .350/.413/.631 slash line representing career highs in all three categories. He hasn't been able to escape the injury bug that has nagged him throughout his career, however, as he's now on his second trip to the injured list of the year, having missed a month with a hamstring strain early in the year. The good news is that Seager himself believes this absence won't last more than two weeks, per Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com, as he's avoided structural damage. Ezequiel Duran is expected to be the primary shortstop until Seager returns.

Velazquez hasn't started a game since prior to the All-Star break, though he's gotten into seven second-half contests as a pinch runner and/or defensive replacement.

Velazquez was starting at shortstop fairly frequently in the week leading up to the break, but that opportunity dried up when Zach Neto returned from the injured list. Velazquez has subsequently served exclusively in a reserve role, primarily as a pinch runner. Though he's seen action in seven games since the start of the second half, he's logged only three plate appearances, going 0-for-2 with a walk. The Angels have been taking advantage of his speed, however, as Velazquez has tallied three stolen bases in three attempts during the seven-game span. Given his career .192/.247/.290 slash line, it's not a surprise that Velazquez hasn't been able to nail down a starting role.

Seager (thumb) is expected to need a stint on the injured list, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

X-rays came back clean on Seager's right thumb after he injured it on a slide into second base Friday versus the Dodgers. However, he's undergoing an MRI on Saturday and more will be known once those results are in. The feeling seems to be that he is going to have to miss some time. Ezequiel Duran is getting a start at shortstop Saturday and figures to see the bulk of the action there while Seager is sidelined.

Seager (thumb) is not in the lineup for Saturday's game versus the Dodgers, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

On a more positive note, Seager is listed on the Rangers' lineup card among the reserves, so it appears he is avoiding the injured list for the time being. Seager suffered a right thumb sprain on a slide into second base in Friday's loss to the Dodgers. Ezequiel Duran will play shortstop Saturday.

Pena went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Friday's 6-4 win over the Athletics.

Pena dealt with a hamstring cramp over the weekend, but that appears to be behind him. Friday marked his first multi-hit effort since July 5 -- he went just 4-for-36 over the nine games in between. The shortstop is at a .239/.292/.381 slash line with 10 home runs, nine steals, 33 RBI and 46 runs scored through 87 contests this season.

Neto went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 8-5 win over the Pirates.

Neto extended his hitting streak to six games with his fifth-inning blast. In that span, he's gone 7-for-27 (.259) with two homers and four RBI. The shortstop has hit leadoff in every game since the All-Star break, and the results are solid so far. He's at a .252/.328/.432 slash line with eight long balls, 27 RBI, 30 runs scored and five stolen bases through 62 contests this season.