MLB Player News

Witt went 3-for-5 with a triple, a run, an RBI and three stolen bases in a 10-1 victory versus Texas on Wednesday.

Witt singled and stole first base in the first inning, setting the tone for a fruitful evening for his fantasy managers. He knocked in a run with a triple his next time up, then singled and swiped both second and third base before scoring in the seventh frame. With his effort on the basepaths, the speedy young shortstop more than doubled his stolen-base total -- which jumped from two to five -- on the campaign. Witt started off slowly this season but is starting to pick up the pace, going 6-for-13 with three runs, two RBI and four thefts over his past three contests.

Franco went 3-for-5 with three doubles, a stolen base and two runs scored in Wednesday's victory over the Red Sox.

Franco continued his hot start, hitting three doubles and swiping his third base this year. The 22-year-old shortstop has now hit safely in 10 of the first 12 games of the season and is slashing .340/.377/.720 through 50 at-bats. While it's unlikely he'll maintain this torrid pace, at least early on this appears to have the makings of a breakout season.

Smith will start at shortstop and bat second in Wednesday's game against Royals.

With Corey Seager landing on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a hamstring strain that is expected to keep him out for at least four weeks, Smith will get the first chance to replace him at shortstop and at his usual spot in the batting order. Manager Bruce Bochy suggested after Tuesday's 8-5 win over Kansas City that he's inclined to keep Marcus Semien at second base while Seager is sidelined, so Smith looks like he could end up seeing most of his playing time at shortstop for the foreseeable future after previously making five starts in left field and one at third base this season. Ezequiel Duran is also expected to factor into the mix at shortstop and could end up filling the short side of a platoon at the position with the lefty-hitting Smith.

The Rangers placed Seager on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. The injury will keep Seager out for a minimum of four weeks.

Seager suffered the injury in Tuesday's 8-5 win over the Royals in the bottom of the fifth inning while he was running to second base on an opposite-field double. The four-week timeline likely represents a re-evaluation point for Seager, who could need time beyond that to regain his timing at the plate even if he's cleared to resume baseball activities at that time. While Seager is away, Josh Smith should see starts at shortstop, but the Rangers could look externally or even have Marcus Semien shift over from second base to pick up playing time at the position.

Chang is starting at second base and batting eighth for the Red Sox in Wednesday's game in Tampa Bay.

He's filling in for Christian Arroyo, who is getting a day off. Chang is still looking for his first hit of the season, as he's 0-for-6 with four strikeouts.

Bichette went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Tigers.

The Blue Jays put on a fireworks display in their home opener, clubbing five homers in total, and Bichette's contribution came in the eighth inning off Mason Englert. The shortstop has hit safely in five straight games, homering in three of them, and on the season Bichette is slashing .353/.389/.627 with two doubles, four long balls, nine RBI and 10 runs in 11 contests.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that prior to Wednesday's game against the White Sox that he expects Correa (back) to be back in the lineup for Thursday's series opener with the Yankees, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Baldelli noted that Correa was able to go through a workout Tuesday and will go through an "intense" day in the batting cage Wednesday as a final test. The shortstop is out of the lineup Wednesday for the third day in a row while he contends with middle-back spasms. While fantasy managers have a right to be concerned about Correa missing games in the early part of the season, Minnesota seems to be acting extra careful with the 29-year-old.

Correa (back) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Correa will take a seat for the third straight game while he contends with a middle back spasms, but he's listed as an available option off the bench and is still seemingly on track to avoid a stint on the 10-day injured list. Kyle Farmer will start at shortstop Wednesday and should remain the primary option at the position until Correa is deemed ready to rejoin the lineup.

Smith pinch ran and filled in at shortstop Tuesday after Corey Seager was removed due to a hamstring injury. Smith went 0-for-1 with a walk in an 8-5 extra-inning win over Kansas City.

Seager clutched his left hamstring on the way to second base on a fifth-inning double and was removed immediately. He'll be re-evaluated Wednesday. If a stint on the injured list is warranted, the lefty-swinging Smith or the right-handed hitting Ezequiel Duran can fill in. Smith had been getting steady work in left field until this past weekend, when manager Bruce Bochy started giving at-bats to Bubba Thompson and Travis Jankowski.

Mateo went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and a pair of runs scored in Tuesday's 12-8 win over the Athletics.

Mateo has retaken a share of the major-league lead in steals with six. He shares the top spot with Cleveland's Myles Straw. Mateo has a trio of three-hit efforts through nine contests, and he's hitting a respectable .286 with two home runs, five RBI and nine runs scored. The 27-year-old appears to be the starter at shortstop -- his only two absences on the year were due to hand and ankle injuries that cost him one game each.