MLB Player News

Fletcher isn't starting Saturday against the Rangers, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Fletcher started the last two games and went 2-for-7 with a double and a strikeout. Luis Rengifo is shifting to second base while Andrew Velazquez starts at shortstop.

Mateo isn't starting Saturday against the Reds, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Mateo started the last four games and went 4-for-14 with a home run, a triple, a double, two runs, a steal and seven strikeouts. Ramon Urias will shift to shortstop while Tyler Nevin starts at third base.

Story has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his wrist, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Story was initially diagnosed with a bruised right hand when he landed on the injured list July 16, but he continued to experience discomfort and received a second opinion Saturday. The 29-year-old will be shut down from swinging for 10-14 days following his diagnosis, so he'll likely be unable to return to game action until at least mid-to-late August. Christian Arroyo should serve as the primary second baseman until Story is cleared to return.

Downs was optioned to Triple-A Worcester on Saturday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Downs started just one of the last five games and will lose his spot on the active roster after Christian Arroyo (groin) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Saturday. Downs was called up by the Red Sox in early July and hit .171 with a homer, a double, four runs and four RBI over 13 games since then.

Bichette (shoulder) is starting Saturday against the Tigers.

Bichette wasn't in the lineup Friday due to left shoulder soreness, but he appeared off the bench and went 0-for-1 in the 4-2 loss. He'll be back in the starting nine a day later, starting at shortstop and batting cleanup.

Witt (hamstring) is starting Saturday against the Yankees, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Witt sat out the last five games due to a hamstring issue, but he ramped up the intensity of his workouts Friday and will return to the lineup a day later. Over three games since the All-Star break, he's gone 4-for-11 with a homer, a double, four RBI, three runs and three stolen bases. The 22-year-old is serving as the designated hitter and batting second Saturday.

Diaz went 3-for-5 with two solo home runs in an 11-1 win over the Mariners on Friday.

Diaz joined in on the Astros' hit parade with a couple of solo home runs and a single to help power his team to a victory over their surging division rivals. It was Diaz's first two-homer game of 2022. The utility player has put together a healthy .286/.351/.600 slash line in July and now has eight long balls in 64 games this season, matching his total from 84 contests in 2021.

Smith went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored in Friday's 5-2 win over the Angels.

Smith opened the game on the bench against a left-handed starter, but he entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning for Charlie Culberson and finished out the game at third base. Even though Smith normally sits against southpaws, manager Chris Woodward is a firm believer in lefty-righty matchups and often brings in a lefty hitter against righty relievers. That's allowed Smith to appear in all nine games since the break, including three off the bench.

Anderson went 1-for-3 with a double and a strikeout in a 7-3 loss to the Athletics on Friday. He was ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes.

With the White Sox trailing 5-3 in the seventh, Anderson took exception to a called first strike that caught the top inside corner of the zone. He stepped out of the batter's box and exchanged words with home plate umpire Nick Mahrley, who promptly threw Anderson out of the game. Anderson then encroached on Mahrley's personal space and the brim of Anderson's helmet made contact with Mahrley's head. Anderson had previously been suspended three games for making contact with an umpire in 2021, and he could be face another suspension for his actions in Friday night's game.

Smith is not in Friday's lineup against the Angels.

As is typically the case, Smith will head to the bench with a lefty (Patrick Sandoval) on the hill for the opposition. Ezequiel Duran will start at third base while Nick Solak starts at designated hitter.