MLB Player News

Diaz went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double in Tuesday's 9-7 win over the Royals.

Diaz's playing time has predictably dropped off since Jeremy Pena (thumb) returned from the injured list. Tuesday saw Diaz hit his first homer and post his first three-hit game since June 3. The utility man is up to a .226/.276/.329 slash line with four homers, 16 RBI, 13 runs scored and three doubles through 156 plate appearances. He should continue to see semi-regular playing time whenever the Astros' main infielders need a breather.

Pena went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 9-7 win over the Royals.

Pena tied the game at 4-4 with his fifth-inning blast. He's hit safely in seven of eight games since returning from the injured list due to a thumb injury, going 10-for-37 (.270) in that span. The rookie shortstop continues to look solid in a near-everyday role, slashing .276/.327/.482 with 12 homers, 31 RBI, 36 runs scored and six stolen bases through 62 contests.

Witt had X-rays on his right hand come back negative after he was removed from Tuesday's loss to Houston when he was struck by a pitch in the ninth inning, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The 22-year-old was unable to finish his plate appearance after being hit on the hand -- he wasn't granted first base since he offered at the pitch -- but it appears he's avoided a serious injury. Witt launched his 12th homer earlier in the contest and finished 2-for-5 with three RBI. He will still likely undergo additional testing and should be considered day-to-day.

Witt was removed from Tuesday's game against the Astros after being struck by a pitch on the hand, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Witt went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI before being struck by the ball on the hand while offering at a pitch during the ninth inning, and he was unable to finish the plate appearance. The specifics of the injury remain unclear, and the 22-year-old should be considered day-to-day heading into Wednesday's contest.

Arcia is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cardinals.

Phil Gosselin will pick up a second straight start at second base in place of Arcia, whose ongoing slump may have prompted manager Brian Snitker to go in a different direction. Before sitting out Monday's 6-3 win, Arcia had gone 2-for-28 with 10 strikeouts over his last eight contests.

Crawford (knee) was activated from the 10-day injured list and is starting at shortstop Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Crawford landed on the shelf June 25 with left knee inflammation, and he'll rejoin the big-league roster after spending the 10-day minimum on the IL. The 35-year-old has a .224/.313/.350 slash line through 63 games this year and should reclaim the starting job at shortstop now that he's healthy.

Adrianza will start in left field and bat eighth in Tuesday's game against the Phillies.

He'll stick in the lineup for the third game in a row, with all of his starts coming at different positions. Adrianza, who went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run in Monday's 3-2 loss, will be replacing Yadiel Hernandez in the outfield Tuesday.

Mateo will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Tuesday's game against the Rangers, even though he's dealing with a sore left quadriceps, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

The injury could result in Mateo getting a day off later this week, but he evidently checked out fine during his pregame workout Tuesday and was cleared to stick in the lineup for the second game in a row. Mateo's speed is his top tool, but he hasn't even attempted a steal in any of his last nine games. He's at least provided two home runs over that span to salvage some fantasy value, though he batted just .174.

The Pirates optioned Marcano to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Marcano loses his roster spot after slashing .229/.280/.637 with two home runs, three doubles and five RBI in 22 games. Injuries at the big-league level could result in another promotion for the 22-year-old down the line.

The Rays claimed Chang off waivers from the Pirates on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay shifted Brandon Lowe (back) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list to clear room on the 40-man roster for Chang, but the Rays will still have to move another player off the 26-man active roster when Chang reports to the team Tuesday. A right-handed hitter who's capable of playing all four infield positions, Chang could find himself in a short-side platoon role during his time in Tampa Bay.