MLB Player News

Franco went 1-for-5 Sunday against the Pirates.

Franco returned from nearly a month-long absence caused by a quadriceps issue. His lone hit came in the third inning on an infield single, though it was encouraging that he was able to get down the line without a problem. Franco had failed to homer in 110 at-bats prior to going down with the injury, but it's possible he'll pick up his power pace now that he's presumably back to full health.

Pena went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored Sunday against the Yankees.

Pena was activated from the injured list Sunday after recovering from a thumb injury. He struck out in his other three at-bats but managed a two-out double in the fourth inning prior to coming around to score. Pena should be locked into the starting shortstop role for the Astros, and he will look to build upon his impressive .277/.332/.472 line across 214 plate appearances.

Witt went 0-for-1 with three walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Athletics.

This was the first three-walk game of Witt's career, and the third time in five games he's gotten on base multiple times. The shortstop has hit .264 with an .844 OPS in June, lifting his season numbers to a .242 batting average and .759 OPS through 287 plate appearances. He's added 11 home runs, 11 stolen bases, 37 RBI, 40 runs scored, 16 doubles and five triples. Witt's walking at a 6.0 percent rate -- that's a bit lower than the 9.3 percent clip he posted across Double-A and Triple-A in 2021, but it's power over patience that makes the 22-year-old an increasingly reliable option in fantasy.

Smith went 0-for-3 with two walks as the leadoff hitter in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Nationals.

Smith batted leadoff for the first time since being added to the major-league roster at the end of May. He missed some time due to injury and has played just 10 games with 33 plate appearances since then, so his .485 on-base percentage comes from a small sample size. As a member of Triple-A Round Rock, Smith reached base at .370 clip over 208 plate appearances.

Allen went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Sunday's victory over the Royals.

Allen picked up both of his RBI on a late single, sending Chad Pinder and Cristian Pache to the plate. The shortstop has played in four games since June 21 and has a hit in three of them while only striking out once during that span. Allen may be earning himself some more playing time as he is slashing .273/.429/.636 this month.

Story went 2-for-6 with a stolen base and two RBI in a 8-3 win Sunday in Cleveland.

Story singled and stole his 10th base in the second and added a two-run single in the sixth. The stolen base gives him double-digit steals and homers for the fifth consecutive season. While his .227/.304/.414 is not what Boston had in mind when they signed him to a $140 million contract in the offseason, his counting stats are fairly good and he's on pace to hit over 20 homers, drive in over 100 runs and steal more than 20 bases.

Crawford was ejected in the second inning of Sunday's game against the Angels for his involvement in a benches-clearing brawl, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. He went 0-for-1 before exiting the contest.

Crawford was one of eight players or managers from the two teams who was sent to the locker room for the rest of the game after play resumed following an 18-minute delay. Footage from the brawl courtesy of Bally Sports West appeared to show Crawford throwing a punch, so he could be subject to a suspension once MLB reviews the incident and doles out punishment.

Velazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Velazquez will sit for the second time in the series while Luis Rengifo and Matt Duffy serve as the Angels' starting middle infielders Sunday. Since the start of June, Velazquez has slashed an anemic .105/.136/.228 while striking out at a whopping 44.1 percent clip, so his hold on an everyday role could be tenuous.

Smith will start at third base and bat leadoff in Sunday's game against the Nationals.

Smith's path to everyday playing time at the hot corner looks clear after fellow rookie Ezequiel Duran was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday, and the 24-year-old could get a chance to hit out of the prominent spot in the lineup moving forward. According to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, manager Chris Woodward said Smith "has a lot of qualities of a leadoff guy," perhaps hinting that Smith could continue to slot atop the lineup for additional contests beyond Sunday. Smith, who has produced an .881 OPS to go with two stolen bases through his first 28 MLB plate appearances, at least looks like an interesting speculative pickup in 12-team or deeper mixed leagues where he might be available.

Allen will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Royals, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen will stick in the lineup for the fifth time in six games, with three of his starts coming at second base and two coming at shortstop. The keystone looks like a clearer path to playing time for Allen, as the Athletics can move Tony Kemp off second base and deploy him in the corner outfield to facilitate room in the lineup for the rookie. Allen's stint as a near-everyday player will likely last as long as he remains useful at the plate. Through his first four games since his call-up from Triple-A, Allen has gone 3-for-11 with a home run, a double, three walks, three RBI and three runs.