MLB Player News

Pena is not in the lineup Friday against the Athletics.

Mauricio Dubon will cover shortstop and bat second with Jose Altuve (illness) back at second base and hitting leadoff. Pena has been frustratingly inconsistent to begin his sophomore campaign, but he remains the primary option at shortstop for Houston.

Correa (foot/heel) is in the Twins' lineup Friday versus the Blue Jays, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Correa has been sidelined for much of this week due to foot and heel discomfort, but after a pregame workout he felt good enough to give it a go in the series opener against Toronto. Given the diagnosis -- plantar fasciitis along with a muscle strain in the arch of his left foot -- more days off for rest and treatment should be expected even as Correa manages to avoid the injured list.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Friday that he's optimistic Correa (foot) will be able to avoid the injured list, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Correa hasn't played since Monday due to plantar fasciitis in his left heel and a muscle strain in the arch of the same foot, but Baldelli's comments suggest that the star shortstop could be back in action sometime during Minnesota's three-game weekend series against the Blue Jays. The issue is something Correa might have to manage for the rest of the season.

Duran (rib) remains out of the lineup for Friday's game in Baltimore.

Duran will miss a second straight contest as he battles rib cage soreness. He is considered day-to-day. Robbie Grossman will be the Rangers' designated hitter Friday and Josh Smith will cover left field.

Chang (wrist) began a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Chang's rehab assignment was delayed due to soreness in his surgically repaired left wrist, but he's now ready to test things out in game action. He's been sidelined for the last month but could be ready to return by next week.

Brito was promoted from High-A Lake County to Double-A Akron on Friday.

Brito had a solid 35-game stint at High-A, slashing .265/.379/.424 with four home runs, three stolen bases, 14 RBI and 29 runs scored over 161 plate appearances. The Guardians decided it was time for him to take the next step, and it's likely he'll spend much of the rest of 2023 with Akron.

Diaz is absent from the lineup Thursday at Seattle.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a double Wednesday, and while he holds a paltry .189/.244/.243 slash line on the season, he is batting .308 (8-for-26) in eight games since returning from a hamstring injury. With prospect Jordan Diaz back in Triple-A, the 32-year-old Diaz appears to be on the short side of a platoon at second base with Tony Kemp.

Franco went 1-for-2 with a triple, two runs scored and two steals in Thursday's 6-3 victory over the Blue Jays.

The 22-year-old ripped a one-out triple in the first inning before scoring the game's first run on a Randy Arozarena base hit. Franco would later draw a pair of walks and tallied two of the Rays' seven stolen bases in the contest. He finished the four-game set against Toronto 6-for-14 with two triples and three stolen bases. Franco is slashing a stellar .288/.355/.490 with seven home runs, 25 RBI and 30 runs scored while going 17-for-22 in stolen base attempts.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in a loss to the Mariners on Wednesday.

Diaz accounted for the Athletics' only run of the night with a seventh-inning two-bagger, his first extra-base hit since April 15. The veteran has been productive at the plate of late despite the lack of impactful hits, however, as he's now sporting a .308 average over the 26 plate appearances covering his last eight games.

Franco went 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, one run scored and one steal in Wednesday's 7-3 victory over the Blue Jays.

Franco singled in his first at-bat and scored the first run of the game on an RBI knock by Isaac Paredes. The shortstop walked his next time up and proceeded to steal second but was stranded to end the second inning. He added run-scoring singles in the fourth and eighth to extend Tampa Bay's lead, marking his fifth game with at least three hits this season. Franco has been as advertised to start 2023, slashing .286/.347/.480 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 28 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.