MLB Player News

Anderson's suspension for making an obscene gesture towards fans that he received in late April was reduced to a fine Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN reports.

Anderson made the gesture during a doubleheader against the Guardians on April 20 and was handed a one-game suspension two days later, but he immediately appealed the punishment and has been able to remain in the lineup. The lowered punishment means he'll be able to continue his everyday role going forward.

Smith will start at third base and bat sixth in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Tigers.

Smith is getting his seventh start in a row and looks to be locked in as the Athletics' everyday third baseman against both left- and right-handed pitching now that the more versatile Sheldon Neuse has moved into picking up regular at-bats at several different positions. Despite the steady playing time, Smith hasn't offered much from a fantasy perspective since slugging a grand slam in a May 3 loss to the Rays. In the five games that followed, Smith went 1-for-15 with a triple, a walk and no runs or RBI.

Franco went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Monday's 11-3 loss to the Angels.

The young shortstop continues to swing a hot bat. Franco has a five-game hitting streak going, and on the season the 21-year-old is slashing .322/.347/.517 with four homers, three steals, 15 RBI and 20 runs in 28 contests.

Witt went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 6-1 loss to the Orioles.

Witt hit leadoff for the second time in three games, and he may get a longer look in that spot with Edward Olivares (quadriceps) on the injured list. Witt opened the game with a single, stole second with two outs and then scored on a Ryan O'Hearn single. Through seven games in May, Witt is 6-for-22 (.272), cooling down slightly after ending April with hits in nine straight contests. Overall, the top prospect is slashing .229/.260/.333 with a home run, five steals, seven RBI and 10 runs scored across his first 100 major-league plate appearances.

Mateo went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 6-1 win over the Royals.

Mateo sparked the Orioles' fifth-inning rally with an RBI single before stealing second and scoring on a Trey Mancini single. This extended Mateo's hitting streak to five games, and he's gone 6-for-19 (.316) in that span. The 26-year-old owns a .242/.280/.358 slash line with nine steals, a home run, seven RBI and 10 runs scored through 28 contests.

Crawford (back) could be back in the lineup Tuesday against the Phillies, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Crawford will miss his second straight game with back spasms Monday, but it doesn't appear as though he's dealing with a serious injury. The Mariners will see how his back responds to him hitting in the cage Monday before determining when he'll return.

Crawford (back) remains on the bench Monday against the Phillies.

Crawford left Saturday's game against the Rays with back spasms and didn't take part in Sunday's series finale. He'll miss the chance to face his former team Monday, but there's been no indication that he's anything other than day-to-day. Dylan Moore will make another start at shortstop.

Double-A Akron placed Rocchio on its 7-day injured list Monday due to a concussion.

Rocchio presumably picked up the injury during his last game Sunday against Richmond, when he doubled in his lone at-bat before exiting the contest. The 21-year-old switch-hitting infielder isn't known to have a prior history of head injuries, so the Guardians should have some optimism that he'll be in store for an abbreviated absence. Before sustaining the concussion, Rocchio appeared in 25 games for Akron and slashed .236/.324/.393 with three home runs and two stolen bases.

Owings went 0-for-1 with three walks in a 4-2 win over the Royals in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader.

This was Owings' first game action since April 30, as he's been a bit lost in the shuffle among the Orioles' field players. He's done little to earn more playing time with a .105 batting average and a 6:12 BB:K through 25 plate appearances this season. Owings remains a versatile defender, but that could see him stay limited to making late entrances into games as a defensive replacement or pinch hitter or runner.

Mateo went 2-for-8 with a stolen base and a run scored across both games of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Royals.

Mateo is now 5-for-15 across his last four games after recording a single in both of Sunday's contests. The shortstop is up to eight stolen bases in 27 games this season. He's added a .242/.281/.363 slash line with a home run, six RBI, nine runs scored, a triple and six doubles. The speed is a plus, but there's very little power in his bat.