MLB Player News

Witt went 1-for-5 with a double and three RBI in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Rangers.

Hitting leadoff for the third straight game, Witt was able to snap a five-game run without an RBI. He knocked in a pair with a fifth-inning double and added another on a fielder's choice in the seventh. With Adalberto Mondesi (knee) out for the year, Witt's seen a little more time at shortstop, but third base remains his primary position. The 21-year-old is slashing .219/.248/.324 with a home run, 10 RBI, 10 runs scored and five stolen bases through 109 plate appearances this season.

Seager went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Royals on Wednesday.

After swatting two long balls Tuesday, Seager went hitless over his first three plate appearances Wednesday. However, he launched a 420-foot shot to center field in the ninth inning to finish the game on a high note. Seager's power has mostly come in bunches this season -- he swatted a long ball in three straight games over the final days of April and now has three homers over his past two contests. Six of seven home runs on the season have been of the solo variety.

Mateo will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Cardinals, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Originally scheduled to receive Wednesday's game off, Mateo will enter the starting nine after the Orioles scratched Ryan Mountcastle (undisclosed). Mateo will put a six-game hitting streak on the lineup in the penultimate game of the series in St. Louis.

Seager went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Royals.

The pair of long balls -- Seager's fifth and sixth of the season -- helped break an 0-for-15 slump at the plate over his last four games. He'll look to keep the momentum going Wednesday, when he'll start at shortstop and bat third for the Rangers.

Crawford (back) went 0-for-4 with an RBI sacrifice fly in a win over the Phillies on Tuesday.

The veteran shortstop was back in the lineup after missing two games with back spasms and recorded his first RBI since May 1. Despite the fact he's mired in a 4-for-23 slump over his last seven games, Crawford still sports an elite .327/.417/.525 slash line over his first 120 plate appearances.

Mateo isn't starting Wednesday against the Cardinals, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Mateo is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak in which he's hit .304 with a homer, a triple, two doubles, four runs, two RBI and two stolen bases. He'll get a breather while Chris Owings starts at shortstop and bats ninth.

The Royals revealed Wednesday that Mondesi (knee) underwent successful surgery last week, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Mondesi was diagnosed with a torn ACL in late April, and he'll now begin his lengthy recovery process following his successful procedure. The 26-year-old is expected to require 6-to-9 months to recover, so he'll likely miss the remainder of the season. Nicky Lopez has served as Kansas City's primary shortstop since Mondesi sustained his injury.

Story batted sixth and went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 9-4 win over Atlanta.

Story was dropped to sixth in the order amid a 1-for-16 slump that's included 10 strikeouts and ornery fans at Fenway Park. It was the second time within the last week he's been dropped, and it appeared to help. Story padded Boston's two-run lead in the ninth inning when he laced a two-run single with the bases loaded -- the latest sign the second baseman's bat may be emerging from a season-opening slumber. "Good at-bats, good swing, good path. It's just one of those, he had the bases loaded at the end," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. "Like I said before, that's the nature of the game. But I think overall, a lot of good at-bats." Story is one of several struggling hitters on a team that entered Tuesday's contest averaging 3.3 runs per game.

Pena went 1-for-3 with two walks, two RBI and a run scored Tuesday against the Twins.

Pena delivered an RBI in each of his first two plate appearances, the latter coming on a single. He also walked to lead off the sixth inning before coming around to score. Though Pena has dropped in the order since a brief stint as the team's leadoff hitter, he is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak during which he's collected seven RBI and four runs scored while also tallying a stolen base. Across 110 plate appearances on the campaign, he is hitting .245/.318/.490.

Smith went 3-for-7 with an RBI, a run and a stolen base across both games of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Tigers.

Smith started at third base and shortstop during the twin bill and now has hits in each of the past three games. The 25-year-old is handling an everyday role for Oakland but doesn't offer much production with a .219/.254/.375 slash line along with one home run, seven RBI, five runs and two stolen bases.