MLB Player News

Downs (side) started at shortstop and went 0-for-2 with two walks, two runs and his eighth stolen base of the season Sunday in Triple-A Worcester's 10-2 win over Lehigh Valley. He also reached base on a hit by pitch.

Downs was back in the lineup for the first time in a week after he had been sidelined with side discomfort. After playing a full nine innings to close out the weekend, Downs is seemingly back to 100 percent health. The 23-year-old has endured a rough go of things in his return to Worcester this season, as he's managed a modest .743 OPS across 159 plate appearances.

Franco was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a strained right quadriceps, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Franco left Monday's game against the Rangers with the injury, which turns out to be serious enough to cost him at least 10 days. Whether or not he's at risk of missing considerably more time than that is uncertain. Taylor Walls should become the primary shortstop in Franco's absence, opening up more at-bats at second and third base for Vidal Brujan and Isaac Paredes.

The White Sox placed Anderson (groin) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday.

Manager Tony La Russa had already said that Anderson would land on the IL as a result of the right groin strain he sustained in Sunday's win over the Cubs, but the White Sox elected to wait until shortly before Tuesday's series opener in Toronto to make the transaction official. Chicago activated Luis Robert (illness) from the COVID-19-related IL in a corresponding move, and he could end up settling in as the White Sox's leadoff man while Anderson is on the shelf. The White Sox will likely look to a combination of Leury Garcia (side) and Danny Mendick to fill in at shortstop for Anderson.

The Twins placed Correa (illness) on the COVID-19-related injured list Tuesday.

Correa's placement on the IL was fully expected after multiple reports surfaced Monday indicating that the 27-year-old tested positive for the virus. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Correa is vaccinated, but he isn't feeling well since testing positive and may need more than a few days of recovery time to get his conditioning back in order once he's no longer symptomatic. Minnesota called up Jermaine Palacios from Triple-A St. Paul to provide additional depth in the middle infield, but it's unclear if he'll be deployed as the team's everyday shortstop or if the Twins will rely on a committee of Palacios, Jorge Polanco and Nick Gordon to fill in at the position while Correa is sidelined.

Smith went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in Monday's 9-5 win over the Rays.

Brad Miller (hip) went on the injured list Monday, and Smith was called up to replace him on the 26-man roster. Smith, 24, showed well in his major-league debut, though all three of his hits were singles. A natural second baseman, he started at third base and batted eighth Monday -- with Marcus Semien and Corey Seager in the middle infield, Smith will likely have to move away from his most comfortable positions to draw playing time. If he does well initially, the lefty hitter could move into a strong-side platoon role at third base with righty hitters Andy Ibanez and Charlie Culberson.

Franco was removed from Monday night's game against the Rangers due to a quadriceps injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash stated after the game that Franco was lifted after feeling a tug in his quad. The team intends to re-evaluate him in the morning to determine whether he can play in the second game of the series.

Franco left Monday night's game against the Rangers with an undisclosed injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Per Topkin, Franco appeared to slow up around first base after his third hit of the evening, and he would leave the game before play continued. The nature of the injury is unclear at this time.

Smith left Monday's game against the Astros early due to a knee contusion, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

According to Gallegos, Smith likely suffered the injury on a diving attempt near the dugout, but he appears to have avoided any significant damage. Oakland manager Mark Kotsay stated after the game that he expects Smith to be available for the second game of the series Tuesday.

Smith exited Monday's game against the Astros in the bottom of the sixth inning due to an apparent injury, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The Athletics were held without a hit for the first five innings of Monday's matchup, but Smith led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a double. However, the 25-year-old slowed down as he headed into second base and left the game with a trainer. The exact nature and severity of his injury aren't yet clear.

Correa tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, Audra Martin of Bally Sports North reports.

Correa wasn't in the lineup for Monday's matchup against the Tigers, and the Twins found out during the game that the shortstop had tested positive for COVID-19. Since Royce Lewis (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday, Correa's absence will leave Minnesota particularly shorthanded at shortstop. Jorge Polanco, Nick Gordon and Jose Miranda should be in the mix for additional playing time while Correa is away from the team.