MLB Player News

Bichette (knee) took part in some throwing drills Saturday and continues to steadily increase the amount of intensity of his baseball activities since he was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

According to Zwelling, the Blue Jays hadn't ruled out the possibility of Bichette beginning a hitting progression Sunday if he bounced back well from Saturday's workout, though it's unclear whether he ended up swinging the bat to close out the weekend. In any case, Bichette appears to be responding well to treatment for the patellar tendinitis in his right knee, and while he remains without a clear timeline for a return, he seemingly has a chance at being activated from the IL shortly after he's first eligible Friday.

Ornelas will be recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Ornelas spent the start of the 2023 campaign at Round Rock and hit .250 with five homers, 54 runs, 39 RBI and nine stolen bases. He'll presumably serve in a depth role with the major-league club since Josh Jung (thumb) will likely require an IL stint.

Franco went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Tigers.

Franco swatted his 15th home run of the season to put the Rays up 10-6 in the eighth inning. The 22-year-old shortstop has been on an absolute tear at the plate over the last 10 days, posting a .358 batting average while hitting four home runs, driving in five and scoring nine runs in 41 plate appearances. Franco's recent hot bat has propelled the Rays to three straight series wins, as he's looked to have potentially turned a corner entering the final stretch of the season.

Duran went 1-for-1 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-0 win over the Marlins.

Duran entered the game after Josh Jung was lifted with a broken thumb. It's been a rough stretch since the All-Star break for Duran, who has gone 9-for-56 (.161) with a 7:20 BB:K and just four RBI in 18 games. With Jung likely out a minimum of four weeks, Duran and Josh Smith will have a chance to compete for playing time at third base, allowing Robbie Grossman to settle in at designated hitter. Duran's .281/.326/.482 slash line is better than Smith's .214/.344/.349 mark for the year, but neither has been particularly effective lately. Duran has added 14 homers, 39 RBI, 44 runs scored and six stolen bases through 325 plate appearances, though he'd likely be on the short side of a platoon if one emerges.

Duran is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Duran has now hit the bench three times in five games and may be losing hold of a regular spot in the lineup while he's mustered an underwhelming .145/.230/.218 slash line in 17 games since the All-Star break. Robbie Grossman will serve as the Rangers' designated hitter for a third game in a row and could end up serving as the primary replacement for Duran if the latter fails to show much improvement at the plate in the next handful of contests.

Seager is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Seager is likely just receiving some maintenance after he started in each of the past four games upon being activated from the 10-day injured list Wednesday. Josh Smith will step in at shortstop Sunday in place of a resting Seager, who has gone 5-for-16 with three home runs, one walk, six RBI and two additional runs since coming off the IL.

Baez (personal) was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Rays.

Baez was scratched from Detroit's starting nine for the second day in a row due to a recent death in his family. The 30-year-old could soon be placed on the bereavement list.

Chang is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Pablo Reyes will get the nod at shortstop as Chang rests after going 3-for-16 with a solo home run while starting at the position in each of the last five games. Both Chang and Reyes will see their playing time in the infield take a major hit as soon as Thursday, when Trevor Story (elbow) is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list and installed as Boston's everyday shortstop.

Witt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Witt started the past 14 games and had a 1.079 OPS with four homers, five steals and 16 RBI during that span, and he'll receive a well-deserved day off Sunday. Maikel Garcia will shift to shortstop while Matt Duffy receives a start at the hot corner.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sunday that Story (elbow) will remain on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Worcester until his 20-day window expires Wednesday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Story hasn't experienced any reported setbacks with his surgically repaired elbow since he began the rehab assignment July 21, but the Red Sox want to give the 30-year-old as much time as possible to knock off the rust both at the plate and in the field. Between stints with Worcester and Double-A Portland, Story has posted a .967 OPS over 12 games, and he's also logged 44 total innings at shortstop. If Story is activated from the 60-day injured list Thursday as anticipated, he'll step back in as Boston's everyday shortstop, though Cora could deploy him as a designated hitter once or twice a week in an effort to ease him back into the mix.