MLB Player News

Smith (ankle) reported to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday to begin a rehab assignment.

Smith landed on the shelf last week with a bone bruise in his left ankle, and the start of a rehab assignment indicates it won't be a long stay on the injured list. The 25-year-old should only require a couple games in the minors and should rejoin the A's this weekend.

Velazquez isn't starting Wednesday against the Guardians, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez has gone 0-for-9 with a walk and two strikeouts in his last three appearances, and he'll be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. Tyler Wade will shift to shortstop while Jack Mayfield starts at second base.

Mondesi (knee) will be placed on the injured list Thursday, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Mondesi was removed from Tuesday's win over the White Sox due to knee discomfort, and he underwent an MRI that revealed some structural damage. While a timetable for the 26-year-old's return isn't yet clear, it seems likely that he'll be forced to spend more than the minimum of 10 days on the shelf.

Lopez (oblique) began a rehab assignment at Single-A Dunedin on Saturday and has gone hitless with a walk and RBI over eight plate appearances through two games.

Lopez is eventually expected to advance to Triple-A Buffalo, where he currently resides on the 7-day injured list after hurting his oblique during spring training. The 23-year-old possesses a spot on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster and when healthy, he should be one of the top candidates for a call-up if the big club requires an extra infielder at any point.

Royals manager Mike Matheny said Mondesi is scheduled to get more tests on his left knee Wednesday, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. Mondesi is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Matheny noted that he's optimistic the knee injury Mondesi sustained in Tuesday's 6-0 win isn't too serious, but the Royals won't know the extent of the issue until doctors have a chance to evaluate the 26-year-old. The injury is a disappointing development it what has already been a rough start to the season for Mondesi, who is hitting .140 with no extra-base hits and is buoying his fantasy value almost exclusively through his five stolen bases.

Mondesi (knee) is out of the lineup Wednesday versus the White Sox, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The shortstop was forced to exit Tuesday's win early with knee discomfort and it'll sideline him for at least one contest. More information on his injury will likely come later Wednesday. Nicky Lopez will slide over to shortstop while Edward Olivares enters the lineup in right field and will bat eighth.

Bogaerts went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Blue Jays.

The shortstop continues to tear the cover off the ball, as Bogaerts has five three-hit performances in the last 10 contests. The hot streak has pushed his slash line on the season to .362/.380/.507, but he doesn't yet have the counting stats to match with one homer, one steal, seven RBI and 10 runs through 17 games.

Baez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Twins.

The Twins scored two in the ninth inning for a walkoff, 5-4 victory, but Baez did all he could to give the Tigers a win as he crushed a three-run home run in the eighth. The shortstop is now up to two home runs and eight RBI across only seven games, to go along with an outstanding .972 OPS. Baez has certainly hit the ground running with his new team.

Witt went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Witt was dropped from the top of the order April 21, but he has secured a hit in all five games since then. The rookie's average was at .128 after the first 10 games of his career, but the hitting streak has it back above the Mendoza-line at .203. It's possible he'll find his way back up to the top of the order if he can stay hot.

Franco went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer in an 8-4 loss Tuesday against the Mariners.

Franco homered off Matt Koch in the seventh inning. The homer ended an 0-for-12 mini-slump that saw his batting average drop below .350 for the first time all season. There's little to worry about, as the 21-year-old has homered four times in the last six games and has 12 extra-base hits in 16 appearances. Despite striking out twice Tuesday, the shortstop has only fanned seven times in 71 plate appearances this year.