MLB Player News

Schmitt isn't starting Saturday against the Pirates, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Schmitt will get a breather Saturday after going 1-for-4 with a double during Friday's contest. Brett Wisely will take over at the keystone and bat ninth while Schmitt sits.

Cubs manager David Ross said Saturday that Swanson (heel) likely won't return from the injured list when first eligible Sunday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Swanson has been on the IL since July 8 with a bruised left heel, and while he's been making steady progress, it will likely be a few more days before he's ready to return. Swanson has been able to hit and field grounders, but running is reportedly the main thing holding him back at this point.

Edman received an injection in his right wrist during the All-Star break, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Edman will be shut down from swinging a bat for the next few days, so it could be a while before he returns to St. Louis' lineup. Nolan Gorman has been filling in as the Cardinals' primary second baseman while Dylan Carlson has received most of the reps in center field.

Crawford (hamstring) is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in his return to the lineup Friday in Pittsburgh, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford missed the final game of the first half with a tight left hamstring, but he's feeling well enough to play after resting over the All-Star break. He and his Giants teammates are going up against southpaw Rich Hill.

Luciano is slashing .317/.430/.610 over his last 100 plate appearances for Double-A Richmond with six doubles, six home runs and three stolen bases.

The 21-year-old had a rough start to the season after recovering from back trouble, but Luciano has been locked in over the last month. Strikeouts remain an issue for him, as he sports a 30 percent K-rate over that stretch, but that's balanced by a 17 percent walk rate. As long as Luciano can stay healthy, a second-half promotion to Triple-A should be in the cards, and potentially even a big-league debut before the 2023 campaign is over.

The Diamondbacks promoted Bliss to Triple-A Reno on Thursday, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

Bliss dominated in Double-A to begin 2023, slashing .358/.414/.594 with 12 homers and 47 RBI across 324 plate appearances while also stealing 30 bases. The 23-year-old infielder figures to close the season in Triple-A, but promotion to the majors in 2024 will certainly be on the table if he continues to shine.

Watson has a .673 OPS and a 30.3 percent strikeout rate over his last 20 games for High-A Beloit.

Watson, who had a memorable play when he stole home to tie a game in the bottom of the ninth inning earlier this month, left a game July 6 after one at-bat and has not played since. No injury has been reported, but it's possible he is dealing with a minor injury or is just getting a chance to clear his head.

Winn has a .329/.385/.543 slash line with three home runs, two steals and an 11.5 percent strikeout rate in his last 70 at-bats with Triple-A Memphis.

He is still well below the International League average on the season (86 wRC+), but Winn is eight months younger than the next-youngest qualified hitter in the league (Jhonkensy Noel) and four months younger than the next-youngest qualified hitter at Triple-A (Tyler Soderstrom). Winn doesn't turn 22 until spring training of next year, and he projects as the Cardinals' shortstop of the future.

Abrams went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Rangers.

The young shortstop has swiped five bags over the last four games without being caught, giving him 14 steals on the season in 16 attempts. Abrams' bat has also picked up the pace in July, as he's gone 11-for-30 (.367) to begin the month with two doubles and a triple. The 22-year-old has hit leadoff in three straight contests for the Nats, and he could be poised for a big second half.

Pintar (ankle) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Saturday and went 0-for-1 with two walks and a run in his return to the lineup.

Pintar served as the designated hitter and logged three appearances before checking out of the contest in what marked his first game action since April 25. The 22-year-old remains on Single-A Visalia's 60-day injured list while working his way back from an ankle issue, but he'll likely require only a few more rehab games in the ACL before he makes his return to the California League.