MLB Player News

Franco was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins due to right hamstring tightness, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

As a result of Franco's late removal from the lineup, designated hitter Manuel Margot will now bat second for the Rays, while Taylor Walls shifts over from third base to cover Franco's usual position at shortstop. The Rays haven't provided word on the extent of Franco's injury, so he can be viewed as day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener in Oakland until manager Kevin Cash elaborates further on the matter.

Seager went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Saturday in a 3-1 victory versus the Braves.

Seager got the scoring started for the Rangers with a 406-foot blast to right field in the first inning. The star shortstop has gone deep in each of his past three contests following an 11-game homer drought between April 15 and 27. Seager is tied for the team lead with four home runs and ranks second with 12 RBI on the season.

Smith (ankle) entered Friday's loss to the Guardians in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter and doubled in his only at-bat.

Activated from the injured list earlier in the day, Smith hit the ground running in his first official at-bat since April 18. Smith has produced a forgettable .188/.235/.281 slash line in his first 34 plate appearances, but at least half of his six hits have gone for extra bases.

Crawford went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs in a loss to the Marlins on Friday.

Crawford recorded his ninth extra-base hit with his leadoff double in the ninth and extended his hitting streak to eight games in the process. The veteran shortstop is on pace to put up career-best numbers based on his torrid start, as he's sporting a .352/.447/.577 slash line over his first 85 plate appearances.

Mateo isn't starting Saturday against the Red Sox.

Mateo started in the last eight games but hit just .179 with two doubles, a run, four stolen bases, a walk and 10 strikeouts. He'll get a day off while Chris Owings starts at shortstop and bats ninth.

Diaz isn't starting Saturday against the Blue Jays, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Diaz will get a breather after he went 0-for-11 with a walk and three strikeouts in the last three games. Niko Goodrum will start at the keystone and bat second Saturday.

Baez went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Dodgers.

Baez had a third of Detroit's six hits and drove in the team's only run Friday. The Tigers are struggling at 6-13 overall, and their 59 total runs are tied for the fewest in the league, so Baez hasn't been in a productive lineup so far. The shortstop is still doing his part with a .282/.317/.487 slash line and nine RBI across 10 games played.

Velazquez singled in his only at-bat, stole a base and scored a run in Friday's win over the White Sox.

Velazquez came on as a defensive replacement at shortstop in the seventh inning and registered his only at-bat in the ninth. He singled to lead off the frame, stole second base, advanced to third on a groundout and came around to score on a Tyler Ward double. The base knock was the first for Velazquez over his past six games, and he is batting just .143 overall this season, though he has collected three steals.

Fletcher went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles Friday in a 5-1 win against the White Sox.

Fletcher made his return to the club Friday after missing over two weeks due to a hip injury. He started at shortstop before shifting over to second base later in the contest. Fletcher's doubles were his first of the season, and prior to Friday he hadn't registered a hit since Opening Day. Even with the multi-hit effort, he's batting only .176 through 17 plate appearances this season.

Seager went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-3 loss to Atlanta.

He took Will Smith deep in the eighth inning for the game's final run. Seager has been up and down to begin his stint with the Rangers, but the 28-year-old has homered in back-to-back games to give him three long balls on the season, and he's batting a cool .300 (6-for-20) over the last five contests.