MLB Player News

Manager Don Mattingly said the Marlins hope Rojas (finger) will be activated this weekend during the three-game series against the Cubs, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

The veteran shortstop began a rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Jacksonville, so a weekend return would provide him a few games in the minors before being activated. Rojas landed on the shelf with a dislocated and fractured left index finger May 28 and it appears he's set to be activated after missing about three weeks.

Baez (thumb) remains out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.

Thumb soreness cost Baez the first three games of last week and sent him back to the bench for Sunday's game. His latest absence will last at least two games, with the Cubs yet to specific exactly when he'll return to the lineup. Sergio Alcantara starts at shortstop in his absence.

Schmitt was named the Low-A West Player of the Week on Monday after he went 9-for-20 with four home runs, three walks, five runs and 10 RBI over his last five games for Low-A San Jose.

Schmitt endured a brutal start to the 2021 campaign, but he lifted his batting average 60 points on the heels of a huge week. The 22-year-old third baseman has still been a below-average player for the balance of the season, with his .208/.277/.455 slash line equating to a 92 wRC+. Better days should be in the forecast for Schmitt, who is striking out at a more-than-acceptable 16.1 percent rate but has been victimized by an unsustainably low .171 BABIP.

Rojas (finger) was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Jacksonville, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Rojas didn't get the chance to play after Sunday's contest was postponed due to inclement weather, and with Jacksonville off the schedule until Tuesday, the Marlins could look to reassign him to a different affiliate to get in some action. In any case, the fact that he's now beginning a rehab assignment suggests that Rojas' return to the big-league roster is imminent, with his activation from the 10-day injured list likely to come later this week. Once reinstated, Rojas will likely take over as the Marlins' everyday shortstop, with rookie Jazz Chisholm moving back to second base.

Manager David Ross said Baez was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Cardinals because of thumb soreness, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Baez missed three games last week because of the thumb issue before returning for the first two games of the weekend series against St. Louis. However, the thumb soreness has returned for the shortstop, so Ross will play it safe by taking him out of Sunday's starting nine. It's currently unknown if Baez could appear off the bench in the series finale. He can be considered day-to-day going forward.

Seager (hand) is expected to take on-field batting practice sometime next week, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Manager Dave Roberts recently indicated that Seager's hand is healing more quickly than expected, and the fact that the shortstop is around the corner from a return to batting practice certainly supports that statement. Seager will need to go on a rehab assignment before rejoining the big club, so early July still seems to be the most likely timeframe for his return.

Swanson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

For the first time all season, Swanson will head to the bench in what likely amounts to a pre-planned rest day. Ehire Adrianza will pick up a start at shortstop in place of Swanson, who is slashing .214/.267/.405 through Atlanta's first 11 games of June.

Dejong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Cubs.

Dejong took Kyle Hendricks deep to lead off the third inning Saturday. The shortstop provided some power in his second game back after missing an entire month with a rib injury. This season has been a struggle for DeJong, who is slashing .176/.275/.382 in 149 plate appearances. The 27-year-old has eight homers, 18 RBI and 19 runs with a pair of steals in 37 games.

Crawford (lower body) will start at shortstop and bat cleanup Sunday against the Nationals.

Crawford was withheld from the starting nine for the second half of Saturday's doubleheader while recovering from lower-body cramps, but he was able to make an appearance off the bench as a pinch-hitter. The veteran apparently felt well upon reporting to the ballpark Sunday, so he'll step back into his normal starting role in the infield in the series finale.

Manager Gabe Kapler said that Crawford was scratched from Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Nationals because of cramping between games, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

This update from Kapler explains why the veteran shortstop was a late scratch from the nightcap. The skipper noted that Crawford could get the day off again Sunday if the issue persists through the night, so he can be considered questionable for the series finale at this point.