MLB Player News

Diaz will start at shortstop and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

He'll pick up his second start in a row and looks primed to serve as the Astros' everyday shortstop after star rookie Jeremy Pena (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday. Over 119 plate appearances on the season, Diaz has hit .214 with three home runs and no stolen bases, so his fantasy upside isn't especially high even while he remains part of a potent Houston lineup.

The Astros placed Pena on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with left thumb discomfort.

Though general manager James Click said in a radio appearance earlier Wednesday that Pena's thumb injury wasn't severe, the American League Rookie of the Year candidate will remain sidelined through at least next weekend while he heals up. Manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday that the 24-year-old underwent an MRI that didn't reveal any significant damage, but the shortstop won't swing a bat for at least a week, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. Aledmys Diaz started at shortstop in Tuesday's 4-3 win and will likely serve as the primary option at the position while Pena is on the shelf.

Astros general manager James Click said Wednesday that the "initial read" on Pena's left thumb injury is that the rookie isn't dealing with anything severe, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Click noted that Pena flew back to Houston on Tuesday to undergo additional tests on his thumb, and the Astros plan to evaluate him again Wednesday. With that in mind, Pena doesn't look like he'll be back in Arlington on Wednesday for the Astros' series finale with the Rangers. Aledmys Diaz replaced Pena at shortstop Tuesday in Houston's 4-3 win.

Baez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Harold Castro gets the nod at shortstop while Baez sits for the first time since June 2 as the Tigers and White Sox wrap up their series with a day game after a night game. Fantasy managers hoping that Baez's three-walk performance in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Blue Jays might have been a sign of a breakthrough for the 29-year-old have been disappointed. He's gone 0-for-11 with no walks and three strikeouts over the Tigers' subsequent three contests.

Manager Scott Servais said after Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Twins that Crawford is unlikely to start in Wednesday's series finale while he recovers from flu-like symptoms, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Crawford was a late scratch ahead of Tuesday's contest, but an explanation for his absence wasn't provided until Servais addressed the media after Seattle's win. Due to the quick turnaround for Wednesday's game -- which begins at 1:10 p.m. local time -- the Mariners likely won't rush Crawford back into the lineup while he's less than 100 percent. He could still be available in a pinch-hitting capacity if he doesn't start.

Duran went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in a 4-3 loss to the Astros on Tuesday.

Duran singled to lead off the third inning and came around to score on an RBI single by Marcus Semien. The former would later go on to steal third base off Bryan Abreu after advancing to second on a wild pitch in the seventh. The rookie infielder has only played in 10 games since being called up from the minors June 4, but he already has a couple of home runs and steals. If Duran continues to reach base at anywhere near his current .341 clip, he should continue to find opportunities to run.

Mateo went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and two stolen bases in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the Blue Jays.

The veteran speedster ran wild in the sixth inning as he took advantage of the battery of Trevor Richards and rookie catcher Gabriel Moreno to collect his 15th and 16th steals of the year. Mateo is one behind Julio Rodriguez for the major-league lead in the category, but he's added very little fantasy value otherwise with a .214/.249/.344 slash line, four homers, 15 RBI and 18 runs through 56 games.

Crawford was scratched from Tuesday's lineup against the Twins for unspecified reasons, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Crawford was bumped up to the leadoff spot for Tuesday's contest, but he won't end up starting for undisclosed reasons. The 27-year-old should be considered day-to-day until more information is available. Sam Haggerty will take Crawford's place in the lineup with Adam Frazier now batting leadoff.

Arroyo has hit .400/.462/.511 with a homer and a steal across his last 11 games for Single-A Modesto.

His season line is now at a cool .317/.386/.523 with 10 long balls and nine swipes. The 18-year-old Arroyo seems to be improving by the day, and while his strikeout rate has crept up a bit in recent weeks, he's still been hitting steadily while providing excellent defense at shortstop.

Anderson (groin), who begins his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Charlotte, should rejoin the White Sox at some point during the upcoming homestand, which begins June 20, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The 28-year-old will serve as the designated hitter during his first rehab game Tuesday before moving out to shortstop Wednesday. Manager Tony La Russa said he hoped Anderson would be sidelined only three weeks after Anderson went down with a strained groin at the end of April, and a return next week would be in line with that initial timeline. Danny Mendick has started the past 10 games at shortstop and should continue to see the bulk of the playing time there until Anderson rejoins the active roster.