MLB Player News

Story went 2-for-6 with a stolen base and two RBI in a 8-3 win Sunday in Cleveland.

Story singled and stole his 10th base in the second and added a two-run single in the sixth. The stolen base gives him double-digit steals and homers for the fifth consecutive season. While his .227/.304/.414 is not what Boston had in mind when they signed him to a $140 million contract in the offseason, his counting stats are fairly good and he's on pace to hit over 20 homers, drive in over 100 runs and steal more than 20 bases.

Crawford was ejected in the second inning of Sunday's game against the Angels for his involvement in a benches-clearing brawl, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. He went 0-for-1 before exiting the contest.

Crawford was one of eight players or managers from the two teams who was sent to the locker room for the rest of the game after play resumed following an 18-minute delay. Footage from the brawl courtesy of Bally Sports West appeared to show Crawford throwing a punch, so he could be subject to a suspension once MLB reviews the incident and doles out punishment.

Double-A Chattanooga placed McLain on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.

The Reds haven't provided an explanation behind McLain's placement on the IL, but he hadn't played in either of Chattanooga's past two games after apparently getting hurt Thursday against Tennessee. For the season, the 22-year-old infielder is hitting .233 with 12 home runs and a 16-for-17 success rate on stolen-base attempts across 261 plate appearances at Double-A.

Velazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Velazquez will sit for the second time in the series while Luis Rengifo and Matt Duffy serve as the Angels' starting middle infielders Sunday. Since the start of June, Velazquez has slashed an anemic .105/.136/.228 while striking out at a whopping 44.1 percent clip, so his hold on an everyday role could be tenuous.

Smith will start at third base and bat leadoff in Sunday's game against the Nationals.

Smith's path to everyday playing time at the hot corner looks clear after fellow rookie Ezequiel Duran was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday, and the 24-year-old could get a chance to hit out of the prominent spot in the lineup moving forward. According to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, manager Chris Woodward said Smith "has a lot of qualities of a leadoff guy," perhaps hinting that Smith could continue to slot atop the lineup for additional contests beyond Sunday. Smith, who has produced an .881 OPS to go with two stolen bases through his first 28 MLB plate appearances, at least looks like an interesting speculative pickup in 12-team or deeper mixed leagues where he might be available.

The Giants placed Crawford on the 10-day injured list Sunday with left knee inflammation.

Crawford was out of Saturday's lineup but appeared to be past the knee injury after returning from a two-game absence Friday, but it appears he was never fully healthy. According to Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com, manager Gabe Kapler said he's optimistic that Crawford will be ready to return from the IL when first eligible for reinstatement July 5. Thairo Estrada and Donovan Walton should see playing time at shortstop while Crawford is sidelined.

Allen will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Royals, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen will stick in the lineup for the fifth time in six games, with three of his starts coming at second base and two coming at shortstop. The keystone looks like a clearer path to playing time for Allen, as the Athletics can move Tony Kemp off second base and deploy him in the corner outfield to facilitate room in the lineup for the rookie. Allen's stint as a near-everyday player will likely last as long as he remains useful at the plate. Through his first four games since his call-up from Triple-A, Allen has gone 3-for-11 with a home run, a double, three walks, three RBI and three runs.

Cruz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Cruz had started all six games since being called up for his major-league debut Monday, but he'll receive a breather in the series finale at Tampa Bay. The 23-year-old has gone 7-for-27 with three doubles, seven RBI, four runs and a stolen base. Diego Castillo will take over at shortstop Sunday for the Pirates.

The Rays activated Franco (quadriceps) from the 10-day injured list Sunday. He'll start at shortstop and bat second in the Rays' series finale with the Pirates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco was on the shelf for just under a month with a left quad strain, but the 21-year-old looks ready to go after recently wrapping up a five-game rehab assignment in the minors. He'll immediately slot back in as Tampa Bay's everyday shortstop, leaving Taylor Walls and Vidal Brujan to vie for playing time at the keystone.

Reyes was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Sunday.

Reyes was promoted in early June and appeared in four games for Milwaukee, and he went 4-for-14 with a walk and a run before being sent back to Nashville. His stay on the roster could be short-lived since Kolten Wong (calf) is on a minor-league rehab assignment and is expected to be activated from the injured list Tuesday.