MLB Player News

Crawford (concussion), who played six innings on defense in a rehab game with High-A Everett on Saturday, will rejoin the Mariners in Chicago and could be activated from the 7-day injured list ahead of Monday's series opener against the White Sox, MLB.com reports.

The veteran shortstop also took three plate appearances for Everett in his first game action since Aug. 9. Per manager Scott Servais, Crawford is now free of the mental fogginess he felt following his concussion and came out of Saturday's game feeling good. Consequently, Crawford will be re-evaluated when he joins the Mariners in Chicago, at which point a final decision will be made on whether he's ready to rejoin the starting lineup.

Franco is expected to remain on the restricted list or shifted to administrative leave as Major League Baseball continues its investigation into the player's alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco's placement on the restricted list last week was a transaction made by the Rays, whereas a switch to administrative leave would be done by the league as part of the MLB/MLBPA's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. The player's return doesn't appear imminent in either scenario, as the investigation into Franco both by MLB and by authorities in his native Dominican Republic remains ongoing, with no endpoint in sight.

Seager went 2-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Brewers.

Seager's third-inning homer was his 23rd of the season and eighth in 15 games since coming off the injured list Aug. 2. The shortstop's 1.071 OPS leads MLB, but Seager is still 17 at-bats shy of qualifying. He has a line of .346/.411/.660 over 367 at-bats.

Bichette went 2-for-5 with a triple, a solo home run and two runs scored in Sunday's 10-3 victory over the Reds.

In only his second game since an 18-day stint on the injured list due to patellar tendinitis in his right knee, Bichette proved his health with a triple in the first. He then homered in the fourth as he extended a modest hit streak to eight games. Bichette holds a .320 batting average, which ranks second in the American League, and raised his league-leading hit total to 147.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in Sunday's 6-5 loss against the Red Sox.

Volpe tied the game in the seventh inning with a clutch three-run homer off John Schreiber, his 17th of the year and third in his last nine games. The 22-year-old Volpe's gone 8-for-25 (.320) over his previous seven contests. He's now slashing .217/.293/.398 with 50 RBI, 49 runs scored and 20 steals through 458 plate appearances in his rookie campaign.

Mateo went 2-for-5 with an inside-the-park solo home run, a double and an additional run scored in Sunday's 12-1 win over the Athletics.

It's fitting that Mateo's first homer since April 30 -- snapping a 73-game power drought -- would be a product of his speed, not his power. The shortstop has seen limited opportunities in August, and he's gone just 4-for-23 over his 10 games this month. For the season, he's up to seven homers, 32 RBI, 46 runs scored, 25 stolen bases and 13 doubles through 298 plate appearances. Mateo has started three of the last four games at shortstop, though that's likely a product of the Orioles facing four straight southpaws rather than anything he's done to earn an increased role.

Bichette went 1-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's victory over Cincinnati.

Making his first appearance since July 31, Bichette delivered a run-scoring single that capped off Toronto's three-run rally in the fourth inning. Despite being sidelined for nearly three weeks due to patellar tendinitis in his right knee, the 25-year-old shortstop still leads the American League with 145 hits. As the Blue Jays compete for a wild-card spot, Bichette will undoubtedly play a pivotal role down the stretch.

Witt went 3-for-5 with one RBI, a run scored and two steals in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Cubs.

Witt reached base in three of his first four trips to the plate, swiping two bags along the way as the Royals tried to keep pace with Chicago's offense. It marked the shortstop's third consecutive multi-hit game and ninth overall in the month of August, during which he's batting .389 with six homers, 19 RBI and seven steals.

Baez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Guardians.

Kerry Carpenter got the scoring started with a three-run home run in the first inning, and then Baez provided the deciding run with his eighth long ball of the season in the seventh. It's been a disappointing season for the shortstop, who's sitting with just a .592 OPS. Baez may also finish with his fewest home runs in a full season since he hit one as a 22-year-old back in 2015. Since then, he's had at least 14 home runs every year except for the condensed 2020 campaign, when he recorded eight long balls in 59 games.

Basabe went 4-for-9 with two doubles, a walk, three runs and two RBI across both games of a doubleheader split versus the Angels on Saturday.

Basabe notched a hit and scored a run in the matinee before breaking through with three knocks in the nightcap. Two of those hits went for a double, both of which knocked in a run. That Basabe started both games of the twin bill emphasizes the near-everyday role he has settled into since his promotion from the minors Aug. 12. He's slashed .286/.355/.393 with three doubles, six runs and four RBI over seven contests since the call-up.