MLB Player News

Martinez was placed on the 7-day injured list at High-A Lake County on Friday with a strained left shoulder.

Martinez has an .869 OPS in 61 games for Lake County this season but will now be unavailable due to the shoulder issue. The severity of the strain remains unclear, though the 20-year-old will be eligible to be reinstated from the IL next week.

Duran started at second base and batted ninth in Thursday's 8-0 win over the Marlins, going 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Duran was called up from Triple-A Round Rock after the Rangers placed Brad Miller (neck) on the injured list. Marcus Semien, the primary starter at second base, moved to shortstop as Corey Seager got the day off. This is Duran's second stint in the majors this season, and he was one of three members of the lineup -- along with Josh Smith and Elier Hernandez -- getting their first taste of MLB in 2022. Throw the 23-year-old Leody Taveras into the mix, and a picture of an organization building toward next year's squad emerges.

Baez went 3-for-9 with two runs scored across both games of Thursday's doubleheader against the Athletics.

Baez was dynamic in Game 1 with three hits before going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the nightcap. That's par for the course with the streaky shortstop. While he's batting just .216 this season and .211 in July, he does have two home runs, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored across 18 games this month, so he has at least contributed some counting stats despite struggling to make consistent contact.

Crawford (knee) will throw and do some light activity Thursday, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Crawford received a cortisone shot in his left knee Sunday and will resume baseball activity Thursday for the first time since being placed on the injured list July 26. Assuming he ramps up without issue, Crawford could return when first eligible Tuesday in Arizona.

Diaz is out of the lineup for the second game of Thursday's doubleheader with the Yankees, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Diaz, who went 1-for-4 with a double in the Astros' 3-2 win in Game 1, will see his streak of three straight starts come to an end. Chas McCormick will replace Diaz in left field for the nightcap, and the two will likely have to battle for one spot in the lineup moving forward with the Astros bringing back designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (hand) from the injured list earlier Thursday. Another everyday player, Michael Brantley (shoulder), remains on the IL coming out of the All-Star break, but he's without a clear timeline for a return.

Duran was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday. He'll start at second base and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Marlins.

The 23-year-old was sent to the minors in late June but will rejoin the Rangers after Brad Miller (neck) was placed on the 10-day injured list. Duran shifted to a platoon role prior to his demotion and will likely serve as a depth infielder during Miller's absence.

Seager is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game in Miami.

Seager will get a breather for the Rangers' first game of the second half after he appeared in the All-Star Game on Tuesday on the other side of the country. Marcus Semien will slide over to shortstop while Charlie Culberson enters the lineup at second base and bats ninth Thursday.

McLain, who is on the 7-day injured list at Double-A Chattanooga with a wrist injury, is expected to return to action at some point next week, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Once McLain is ready to play again, he'll be joined in the Chattanooga infield by top prospect Elly De La Cruz, who was promoted from High-A Dayton on Wednesday. De La Cruz bounced between shortstop and third base during his time at Dayton and is expected to continue seeing reps at both positions, which should allow a healthy McLain to see consistent time at the two middle-infield spots. Before he was deactivated in late June, McLain slashed .233/.349/.461 with 12 home runs and 16 stolen bases across 261 plate appearances for the Double-A club.

The Reds promoted Cruz from High-A Dayton to Double-A Chattanooga on Wednesday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The switch-hitting infielder's promotion comes after he took part in the All-Star Futures Game over the weekend. De La Cruz, the Reds' top prospect, earned the invite to the exhibition game after slashing .306/.363/.609 with 19 home runs and 28 stolen bases across 306 plate appearances for Dayton. As he makes the jump to Chattanooga, De La Cruz is expected to split his time between both third base and shortstop so that fellow top prospect Matt McLain (wrist) can continue to see his fair share of time at the latter position.

DeJong was named the International League Player of the Week on Tuesday.

DeJong returned from a hand injury last Tuesday and hit .364 with three home runs, 11 RBI and seven runs scored in six games. The shortstop is up to 14 homers and 17 RBI in 46 games with Triple-A Memphis. He's batting .236, but an .811 OPS shows he's been able to flex some power since he was sent down in May. A little more consistency with the bat could get the 28-year-old a look for a promotion later in the summer if the Cardinals need infield depth.