MLB Player News

Watson is in the lineup for Single-A Jupiter on Friday.

Watson hit .273/.500/.727 with one home run, five walks and five strikeouts in five games in the Florida Complex League. He was disciplined by the team recently for an incident where he pointed his bat toward an umpire like a gun. Watson hit .221 with eight home runs and a 39.3 K% in 59 games at Single-A earlier this season.

Witt isn't in Friday's lineup, but manager Mike Matheny is optimistic the rookie could return to the lineup sometime this weekend, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Witt pushed harder Friday in his workouts than he has in recent days, so it sounds like he is truly day-to-day. Maikel Garcia is starting at shortstop while Nicky Lopez starts at third base Friday.

Witt (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

It's the fifth straight game on the bench for Witt as he continues to manage soreness in his right hamstring. The 22-year-old was scheduled to go through a full pregame workout Thursday, though it's unclear exactly how he fared. The Royals opted to demote Emmanuel Rivera on Friday with Salvador Perez (thumb) returning from the injured list, which indicates the team isn't ready to place Witt on the shelf.

Bichette is out of the lineup for Friday's game versus the Tigers due to left shoulder soreness, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The young shortstop suffered the injury during Thursday's series opener when he collided with teammate Lourdes Gurriel in the outfield. Bichette is considered day-to-day and will be held out of the lineup for at least one contest. Santiago Espinal will shift to shortstop while Cavan Biggio starts at the keystone.

Mauricio went 2-for-4 with a walk and two solo home runs for Double-A Binghamton on Thursday,

The 21-year-old returned to the starting lineup July 13 after recovering from a minor hand injury and has gone 10-for-43 (.233) with two doubles and three homers in 10 games. Mauricio's approach at the plate still needs some refinement -- he's posted career highs with a 44.0 percent flyball rate and 50.0 percent pull rate, leading to a lopsided .248/.285/.483 slash line through 80 games this year for Binghamton -- but his 24.5 percent strikeout rate is acceptable, and his 18 homers and 11 steals highlight his potential if he can learn to make more consistent quality contact.

Bogaerts went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run, two walks and two stolen bases Thursday in a 4-2 win over Cleveland.

Bogaerts notched the biggest hit of the night, slugging a homer to center field in the sixth inning that was the turning point in the win. The All-Star shortstop also swiped multiple bags in a contest for the first time in 2022, and he's already surpassed last season's total by stealing seven bases. Bogaerts ranks fifth among qualified hitters with a .318 batting average on the campaign.

Fletcher (hip) went 1-for-3 with a double in Thursday's 2-0 loss to the Rangers.

Fletcher missed almost three months after undergoing adductor muscle surgery on both legs. He started at second base and moved to shortstop mid-game as part of a defensive realignment. The 28-year-old infielder is hitting .171 in 15 games this year, adding three doubles, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored. He may be eased back into action, but it's likely he takes on a fairly regular role within the next week.

Turner went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored in Thursday's 13-0 win over the Rockies.

Turner picked up hits in his first three at-bats, including a bases-loaded double in the second. He scored each time he got aboard, and he was rewarded with some rest for the effort as he exited for a defensive replacement in the fifth. The shortstop's sizzling hit streak is up to 15 games -- he's gone 24-for-64 (.375) with four home runs and six doubles in that span. For the season, he's slashing .312/.356/.504 with 15 homers, 72 RBI, 59 runs scored, 18 steals and 27 doubles through 98 contests.

Seager left Thursday's game against the Angels after fouling a ball off his leg, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Seager exited in the fifth inning and was diagnosed with a lower-leg contusion, and his removal was described by the team as precautionary. Elier Hernandez entered the game to play left field, while Josh Smith shifted to second base and Marcus Semien to shortstop.

Fletcher (hip) was activated from the 60-day injured list and will start at second base Thursday against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The 28-year-old has been sidelined since early May after undergoing surgery on the adductor muscles in both legs, but he's ready to rejoin the Halos after going 7-for-32 over a nine-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake. Fletcher should have an everyday role in the middle infield now that he's healthy, and his first big-league start in nearly three months will come at the keystone.