Betts went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a walk in Friday's loss to the Reds.

Betts led the game off with a single, knocked an RBI double in the second inning and added another double in the fourth. He entered Friday in a small slump, going 4-for-22 (.182) over his previous six contests. Despite the skid, he's hitting .291 through 20 games this month. Betts is slashing .338/.438/.554 with 25 extra-base hits through 240 plate appearances on the season.

Atlanta optioned Williams to Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

The 27-year-old had his contract selected by Atlanta in mid-April, but he tallied just four plate appearances during his month with the big club. Joey Wendle was signed to a major-league contract Friday and is taking Williams' place on the roster.

Williams got the start at third base Thursday and went 0-for-2 in a win over the Cubs.

Zack Short has seen the bulk of the playing time at the hot corner while Austin Riley (side) has been on the shelf, but Williams got his first start of the season at any position Thursday, although he didn't do much with the opportunity. The 27-year-old utility player has only two other plate appearances on the season, and he's still looking for his first hit of 2024.

Wisely went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one stolen base in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Pirates.

Wisely's playing time has been sparse, but he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and one RBI over his first five major-league games of the season. He got the start at shortstop Thursday and delivered with a multi-hit effort, as well as his first steal of the campaign. The utility man hit .175 with a .498 OPS, two home runs and two steals over 131 plate appearances in the majors last year. Wisely can cover the middle infield and all three outfield spots, but it's unlikely he comes anywhere near steady playing time in 2024.

Kim went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two stolen bases in Thursday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Reds.

Kim seemingly has a green light to run right now -- he's logged five steals over his last five games, going 5-for-15 with five walks in that span. The shortstop is up to 13 thefts on 14 attempts this season, putting him roughly on pace to match his total of 38 steals in 2023. Kim has a .216/.335/.369 slash line with six home runs, 22 RBI, 25 runs scored, four doubles and two triples over 52 games, but his recent hitting suggests he may be turning things around. Kim still figures to hit in the bottom half of the order most of the time.

Winn went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Orioles.

Winn's seventh-inning solo shot ended up being the difference in the game. The shortstop is on a roll, having hit safely in his last 11 contests. During that span, he's gone 15-for-41 (.366) with two homers, seven RBI and two stolen bases. He's up to a .295/.348/.432 slash line over 157 plate appearances this season, and he's now hit leadoff against the last two southpaws the Cardinals have faced.

Luciano is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Pirates.

Luciano has taken the reins at shortstop since Nick Ahmed (wrist) landed on the 10-day injured list May 10, with the 22-year-old having started each of the last five games while going 6-for-17 with two doubles and three doubles. He'll likely still continue to see the bulk of the reps at shortstop sans Ahmed, but Luciano will give way to Brett Wisely in the series finale.

Sosa went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run during Wednesday's 11-4 win over the Rangers.

The shortstop tagged Jonathan Hernandez for a round-tripper in the fourth inning, plating Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh. The long ball was Sosa's second of the campaign and his first in 51 at-bats, dating back to April 7. Since Trea Turner (hamstring) was placed on the injured list May 4, Sosa is 11-for-37 (.297) with 12 runs and nine RBI.

Kim is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.

Though double-play partner Xander Bogaerts will be in store for a long-term absence after he was diagnosed Wednesday with a fractured shoulder, Kim's absence from the lineup appears to be little more than a maintenance day. Tyler Wade will cover shortstop in Kim's stead.

Brujan is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.

After a stretch of 16 consecutive starts, Brujan is on the bench for the second day in a row and appears set to operate as a utility man moving forward. His most recent nine starts came at shortstop, but Tim Anderson returned from the injured list Tuesday and has reclaimed everyday duties at the position. Meanwhile, Brujan looks to have lost out on playing time at second base to Otto Lopez, who has produced an .886 OPS thus far in May while chipping in two home runs and two stolen bases.