MLB Player News

Red Sox manager Alex Cora suggested prior to Tuesday's loss to the Rockies that Reyes would be in line for more starts at shortstop with Enrique Hernandez no longer viewed as the team's primary option at the position, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Boston's infield defense was reshuffled Tuesday, with Reyes starting at shortstop and Justin Turner starting at first base for Triston Casas. Cora noted that Reyes, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored Tuesday, isn't seen as an everyday player, but he'll likely see the majority of the starts at shortstop nonetheless until Yu Chang (wrist) is ready to return from the injured list. Eventually, Trevor Story (elbow) will supplant Chang and Reyes at the position, but he's not expected to be ready to play the field until August. Another option -- Adalberto Mondesi -- has been on the IL all season with a knee injury and was shut down from all activities Tuesday.

Neto went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two RBI in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Rangers.

Neto's 396-foot blast came in the ninth inning, giving him his second home run in three days and sixth on the season. The rookie has held his own so far, striking out at just a 21 percent clip while posting a respectable .259 average working as the near everyday shortstop for the Angels.

Seager went 3-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to the Angels.

Seager had another big night at the plate, launching a 435-foot blast in the fifth inning for his eighth home run of the year. The stud shortstop has been on fire of late, recording 10 hits over his last four games while posting six multi-hit games already for the month of June. If Seager can remain healthy, he could very well be in line for a career year batting near the top of the highest-scoring offense in baseball.

Witt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Reds.

The 412-foot blast in the third inning was the 11th on the season for Witt and his first long ball since May 29. The star shortstop continues to put up solid counting stats despite underwhelming ratios. Witt is the only player in the American League with at least 10 home runs and 20 steals, which he's accomplished despite an uneven .237/.276/.422 slash line.

Velazquez was reinstated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.

Velazquez will return to Triple-A Salt Lake after missing over a month of action while on the 7-day IL with an unspecified injury. The 28-year-old has struggled to a .182 average with two homers, six RBI, 11 runs scored and five stolen bases over 66 at-bats in 21 games with Salt Lake this season. With David Fletcher (personal) being placed on the bereavement list and Taylor Jones (undisclosed) heading to the 7-day IL on Tuesday, no additional transaction was required to open a spot for Velazquez on the Triple-A roster.

Fletcher (personal) was placed on the minor-league bereavement list Tuesday.

Fletcher will be away from the team for up to a week as he deals with a family matter. The 29-year-old has impressed with Triple-A Salt Lake in 2023, recording a .365 average with nine extra-base hits, including a homer, over 156 at-bats in 38 contests. Andrew Velazquez (undisclosed) was activated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday, which will help help cushion Fletcher's absence in Salt Lake's lineup.

Mondesi (knee) was shut down from all baseball activity Tuesday, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Mondesi has been on the 60-day injured list since the beginning of the season due to the ACL tear he suffered last season. His rehab process has been slow, and although Mondesi has been without a return timeline all season, pausing all baseball activities will likely push back his season debut even further.

Smith is not in the starting lineup Tuesday versus the Rays.

Smith will take a seat after he went 2-for-6 with a solo homer, two runs scored and two strikeouts while starting the last two contests. Aledmys Diaz will take over at shortstop and bat seventh against Tampa Bay.

Pena is absent from the Astros' lineup for the second game in a row Tuesday due to illness, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Pena wasn't feeling well Sunday and apparently still isn't 100 percent following Monday's off day. Mauricio Dubon will fill in at shortstop against Patrick Corbin and the Nationals.

Witt went 0-for-2 with three walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Reds.

Witt had gone 20 games without drawing a walk prior to Monday, though he was able to limit himself to 17 strikeouts over that span. He's striking out at a 20.9 percent rate while walking at a 5.0 percent clip in 2023, making marginal improvements in both areas over his 2022 numbers. The shortstop is also slashing .237/.277/.414 with 10 home runs, 21 steals, 28 RBI and 38 runs scored over 65 contests.