MLB Player News

Abrams went 0-for-3 in Monday's 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Abrams was called up for his second stint with San Diego on Monday, and he immediately slotted into the starting lineup, batting eighth and playing shortstop. He wasn't able to reach base, dropping his season slash line in the majors to .172/.258/.259. Abrams is expected to draw plenty of starts while Manny Machado (ankle) is out of action.

Castillo is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cubs.

On the bench against a right-handed starting pitcher (Matt Swarmer) for the second straight day, Castillo looks like he'll have to settle for a short-side platoon role for the Pirates, who are giving the lefty-hitting Hoy Park a look at the keystone. Castillo's opportunities could become more scarce within the next week or so, as fellow infielders Kevin Newman (groin) and Josh VanMeter (finger) will start rehab assignments at Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday and could be activated from the injured list after playing a few games in the minors.

Cruz went 2-for-5 with a double, four RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 12-1 win over the Cubs.

Cruz was as advertised in his season debut Monday, flashing his potential as a five-tool star. His most impactful moment was a rocket line-drive double that brought in three runs during the third inning. Per MLB Pipeline, the 23-year-old shortstop recorded the fastest throw by an MLB infielder this season while also posting elite sprint speeds. Cruz posted a .758 OPS with Triple-A Indianapolis this season but it looks like he'll be a permanent fixture in the Pirates' lineup moving forward.

Abrams was recalled by the Padres on Monday.

Abrams joined the Opening Day roster straight from Double-A this season but looked overmatched. He was demoted a little over a month into the season after struggling to a .182/.270/.273 line in 20 games. He's fared far better in his first taste of Triple-A action, hitting .314/.365/.507 in 30 games for Triple-A El Paso. Depending on the severity of Manny Machado's ankle sprain, Abrams could be in line to start regularly going forward, with Ha-Seong Kim sliding to cover third base, leaving Abrams as the primary option at shortstop.

Crawford isn't starting Monday's game against Atlanta, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Crawford will get a breather after he hit .233 with two doubles, five RBI and a run over the last nine games. Thairo Estrada is taking over at shortstop while Wilmer Flores starts at second base.

Castillo is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.

Pittsburgh called up top prospect Oneil Cruz from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier Monday and will have him make his first start with the big club at shortstop, where he'll likely handle an everyday role moving forward. As a result, Castillo no longer has a path to steady playing time at the position, but he could get a look at second base while the likes of Josh VanMeter (finger) and Kevin Newman (groin) are on the shelf. However, it'll be Hoy Park who picks up the start at the keystone Monday after slugging a solo home run in Sunday's 4-3 win.

The Pirates recalled Cruz from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. He'll start at shortstop and bat sixth in the Pirates' series opener against the Cubs.

Infielder Liover Peguero was sent to Double-A Altoona to clear room on the 26-man active roster for Cruz, who is with the big club for the first time in 2022 after getting the chance to make his MLB debut last September. The Pirates delayed calling up Cruz more than two months into the season for dubious reasons, but he'll likely be immediately installed as the team's everyday shortstop. Over his 55 games with Indianapolis this season, Cruz slashed .232/.336/.422 with nine home runs and 11 stolen bases across 247 plate appearances.

Swanson went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two steals in Sunday's win over the Cubs.

Swanson's two scores came on a Travis d'Arnaud homer in the first inning and an Austin Riley double in the fifth. He also swiped two bags against Kyle Hendricks to give him 11 this season. The shortstop has been on fire in June, with at least one hit in 15 of 17 games, including eight multi-hit games. Swanson is slashing .362/.443/.551 this month and has raised his season batting average to .294.

Turner went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and three strikeouts in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Guardians.

Turner's single led to an error that allowed the Dodgers' third run to score in the seventh inning. He promptly stole second, but he was left on base. The shortstop extended his hitting streak to 12 games, a span in which he's gone 16-for-49 (.327), though he's struck out three times in each of his last two contests. He's now slashing .301/.352/.480 with nine home runs, 14 steals, 49 RBI, 33 runs scored, two triples and 15 doubles through 281 plate appearances. With Mookie Betts (ribs) on the injured list, Turner should get an extended look as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter for at least a week.

The Pirates plan to call up Cruz from Triple-A Indianapolis in advance of Monday's game against the Cubs, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Cruz's impending promotion comes after he was withheld from the Indianapolis lineup Sunday, with the 23-year-old concluding his time at Triple-A with a .233/.337/.424 slash line to go with nine home runs and 11 stolen bases across 246 plate appearances. According to Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington reiterated in an interview earlier Sunday that the organization views Cruz as a shortstop, so he's expected to fill an everyday role at that position even though he's also received some exposure in left field at Triple-A this season. With Cruz in line to take over as Pittsburgh's primary shortstop, Diego Castillo is expected to transition into more of a utility role.