MLB Player News

Baez is batting eighth and playing shortstop Thursday against the Giants.

Baez is filling in for the scuffling Addison Russell but slides down the order -- compared to leadoff Wednesday -- against right-hander Jeff Samardzija due to his handedness. Still, Baez is 8-for-13 with two home runs and eight RBI in his last four starts, which explains why manager Joe Maddon wants to keep him active.

Diaz went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and a run in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Dodgers.

The surging shortstop extended his current hitting streak to a modest four games and has now racked up four doubles in his last three contests. Although he's hit only one home run in May after smacking four in the season's opening month, Diaz's line drive rate has shot up from April's 9.6 percent to 23.4 percent, a pivotal factor in his .313/.364/.425 line over the last 19 games.

Turner went 1-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Mariners.

The 23-year-old may finally be snapping out of his early-season slump, as Turner now has six hits, four runs, four RBI and three steals in his last five games. His .242/.269/.409 slash line marks him as one of the biggest disappointments of 2017 so far given the preseason hype that accompanied him, but there's still plenty of time for Turner to turn things around.

Swanson is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates, MLB.com reports.

Swanson has emerged as one of the hottest hitters in the Braves' lineup lately, but he'll hit the bench for rest purposes following a 15-game string of starts, during which he hit .308/.403/.500. The Braves are already beginning to fall out of the playoff race just under two months into the season, but even if the team starts selling off pieces as the trade deadline approaches, Swanson's fantasy outlook shouldn't suffer as a result. He's viewed as a cornerstone piece for the rebuilding Braves.

Story will start at shortstop and bat seventh Wednesday against the Phillies, Ben Harris of Phillies.com reports.

Story was activated from the disabled list ahead of Tuesday's contest but didn't see the field. The Rockies were likely just being cautious in holding Story out, so now that he's back in action Wednesday, the 24-year-old looks primed to assume an everyday role going forward, despite his rough start to the season. Alexi Amarista and Pat Valaika will see their at-bats fall by the wayside with Story in the fold.

Baez will man second base and lead off for the Cubs in Wednesday's game against the Giants.

Baez tore it up in the series opener Monday when lefty Ty Blach started for the Giants, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. With another lefty on the hill Wednesday in Matt Moore, manager Joe Maddon will reward Baez with an assignment at the top of the order. The versatile infielder still doesn't have a clear path to an everyday role, but he should be a mainstay in the lineup against southpaws.

Arcia is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

Arcia owns a .276 on-base percentage for the season, but his performance had been trending up of late, as he came into Wednesday riding a four-game hitting streak. However, with manager Craig Counsell eager to find at-bats for the red-hot Eric Sogard until he cools, Arcia will take a seat during the day game to make room for the veteran in the lineup.

Gordon went 3-for-6 with a triple, a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 11-9 win over the A's.

With trade rumors beginning to circle every Marlins player who doesn't have a $325 million contract, Gordon's recent surge can't hurt his value on the open market as the second baseman is slashing .357/.419/.464 over his last seven games.

Owings is not in the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox.

Owings will head to the bench after starting each of the last eight games for the Diamondbacks. The 25-year-old is enjoying a nice start to the season offensively, slashing .323/.359/.484 with five homers and nine stolen bases through 161 at-bats. Nick Ahmed will draw the start at shortstop in his stead.

Story (shoulder) is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Phillies, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

While Story was activated from the disabled list ahead of Tuesday's contest with the Phillies, Alexi Amarista will draw the start at shortstop over him. The Rockies are likely being cautious with the 24-year-old, so look for him to slot back into the lineup for Wednesday's contest.