MLB Player News

Franco exited Thursday's game against the Yankees with neck spasms and tightness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco was removed in the fifth inning after appearing uncomfortable during an at-bat. He'll be re-evaluated Friday, but there's no further detail for the time being. If Franco is forced to miss additional time, Taylor Walls is likely to step in at shortstop for Tampa Bay.

Franco was removed from Thursday's game against the Yankees with an apparent neck injury, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Franco exited in the fifth inning after appearing uncomfortable during an at-bat. There are no further details regarding the issue or the potential severity. Isaac Paredes entered the game in Franco's place to play third base, while Taylor Walls shifted to shortstop.

Crawford (knee) went 1-for-3 with an RBI single, a walk and a run in a loss to the Rangers on Wednesday.

Crawford led off and played a full game at shortstop in his return from a two-game absence due to a knee injury, and he's now reached safely in eight consecutive starts. The productive afternoon at the plate Wednesday pushed Crawford's on-base percentage to .382 across 132 plate appearances, easily the highest of his career.

Smith started at designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with a double in Wednesday's 4-3 win over Seattle.

Smith made a second consecutive start following a two-hit effort Tuesday, when he started in left field. At-bats had been dwindling for Smith, whose last start came April 27 before getting into lineup on consecutive days this week. With Travis Jankowski (hamstring) on the IL, Smith could become a regular whenever there is righty on the mound. The super-utility fielder has hit in three straight games, going 5-for-10 with two doubles, one home run, two RBI and a stolen base.

Franco went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and two steals in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Orioles.

Franco swiped a bag both times he reached base and is now up to 11 on the year, which is tied for sixth best in baseball. The 22-year-old is taking advantage of the new base sizes and pickoff restrictions after combining for only 10 steals across 153 games in his previous two seasons combined. Franco has now hit safely in six straight games and overall is slashing .310/.369/.552 with seven homers, 23 RBI, 23 runs and a 12:24 BB:K over 160 plate appearances.

Baez went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Guardians.

The Tigers are playing better lately and so is Baez, as the shortstop is batting .314 this month with three home runs, five RBI and seven runs scored in nine games. Baez hasn't lived up to expectations yet during his time in Detroit, though he could be turning a corner. His season batting average is now up to .256 to go with a .695 OPS.

Volpe went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Wednesday's 11-3 victory over the Athletics.

Volpe extended the Yankees' lead to 11-2 with his first career grand slam, a 419-foot shot off Rico Garcia in the fifth inning. It was Volpe's fourth home run of the season. The 22-year-old shortstop had been slumping coming into Wednesday's contest, going 3-for-27 in his last six contests. Volpe is now slashing .205/.300/.348 with 13 RBI, 15 runs scored and 11 stolen bases through his first 150 plate appearances.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that Seager (hamstring) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list "early" during the Rangers' upcoming homestand, which begins next Monday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Seager will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Thursday, first playing five innings at shortstop and building up from there. Barring any setbacks over the weekend, he would seem to have a good shot to return to action in Monday's series opener versus Atlanta. Seager has been out since April 12 due to a left hamstring strain.

Crawford (knee) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff Wednesday against the Rangers, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Crawford missed the last two games because of discomfort in his left knee, and he not only returns to the lineup Wednesday, but he'll also replace a slumping Julio Rodriguez in the leadoff spot. While Crawford has hit just .240 on the season, he's gotten on base at a .378 clip. His presence atop the lineup could help revitalize a dormant Seattle offense.

Baez went 0-for-5 with a steal in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to the Guardians.

Baez saw his five-game hitting streak end Tuesday, but he was able to swipe his third bag of the season. Baez had been swinging the bat well to start the month -- he's 9-for-32 with three homers in eight games since the start of May. He's now slashing .246/.306/.361 with 16 RBI and 14 runs scored through 134 plate appearances this season. Even with his three punchouts Tuesday, Baez has cut his strikeout rate to 17.8 percent, which would be a career low.