MLB Player News

Cruz was promoted to High-A Wilmington on Monday after beginning the season by slashing .333/.460/.627 over 14 games with three homers and 15 steals in 18 attempts for Single-A Fredericksburg, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

The Nationals have a logjam of top infield prospects in the low minors, but a breakout for Cruz could allow him to climb the ladder a little quicker than his peers. The 19-year-old shortstop was acquired from the Cubs at the trade deadline last year as part of the package for Michael Soroka, and in his first two games for Wilmington he's gone 2-for-9 with a homer.

Winn "continues to undergo preventative care" for a lower-back issue, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn spent some time on the injured list last season with back spasms, and he's also missed time this year with hip and shin issues. The shortstop isn't currently hurt, but the Cardinals "are seeking ways for him to reduce mileage," which could mean more days off like he had Wednesday in Miami. Winn got off to a slow start offensively this season but has been superb lately, slashing .387/.429/.645 during an eight-game hitting streak.

Pena had to be taken to the hospital after collapsing in the dugout when he became overheated during Wednesday's game with High-A Wisconsin, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The game was called in the eighth inning following the scary incident, but Pena was administered IV fluids at the hospital and is feeling better. Consider him day-to-day. The 19-year-old top prospect is off to a blazing-hot start for the Timber Rattlers, slashing .372/.462/.512 with one home run, six stolen bases and an 8:10 BB:K.

Fernandez went 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored in Wednesday's 11-7 win over the White Sox.

Fernandez's contributions were lost among the more showy exploits of his teammates, but the utility infielder extended a hit streak to seven games (9-for-27). The rookie has flirted with .300 all season and is slashing .313/.333/.433 with four extra-base hits and nine RBI over 19 games. A relatively unheralded prospect entering spring training, Fernandez put on a show in the Cactus League (three HR, 1.148 OPS) and it hasn't stopped in the majors, where he homered twice in his MLB debut. The 22-year-old shares first base with Ildemaro Vargas while also getting at-bats at DH.

Perdomo went 3-for-4 with two triples, a walk, one RBI and one run scored in Wednesday's 11-7 win over the White Sox.

Perdomo has hit safely in his last six games, going 12-for-23 (.522) in that span, which includes all three of his triples this season. The surge has him up to a .260 average and .782 OPS through 23 contests after a slow start. Perdomo has added six stolen bases, six RBI, 11 runs scored, one home run and three doubles on the year. The shortstop broke out with a 20-homer, 100-RBI effort over 161 games in 2025, but he's taken a clear step back in most areas early in 2026.

Merrill went 1-for-3 with a walk, one RBI and one stolen base in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Rockies.

Merrill opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning. Prior to Wednesday, he had gone 0-for-16 with 10 strikeouts over his previous four games. The outfielder has run streaky early in 2026, leading to a lackluster .217/.280/.380 slash line over 101 plate appearances. He's added three home runs, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored, six doubles and five stolen bases across 24 contests.

Lindor was removed from Wednesday's game against the Twins with left calf tightness.

Lindor went 2-for-2 before coming out of Wednesday's game, but he appeared to tweak his calf while rounding third base and coming in to score on Francisco Alvarez's fourth-inning double. Lindor is slated to get an MRI on his calf Thursday, per Laura Albanese of Newsday, at which point more information regarding the severity of his injury and a return timeline should be revealed.

Freeland is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Giants on Wednesday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Freeland will get a rest day after going 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to San Francisco. Miguel Rojas will start at second base Wednesday and bat ninth.

Sanoja went 3-for-4 in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Cardinals.

Getting the start at third base and batting ninth before shifting to second base later in the contest, Sanoja rapped out his third three-hit performance of the season. The 23-year-old utility player has seen action at five different positions (second, third, shortstop, left field and center field) already this season while contributing a surprising amount of offense, slashing .352/.397/.407 with three doubles, two steals, one run and nine RBI through 18 games.

Tovar is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Padres.

Tovar has gone just 5-for-36 at the plate across his last 11 games, so he will get a breather to regroup. Willi Castro will receive the nod at shortstop for Colorado and will occupy the No. 8 spot in the batting order.