MLB Player News

Smith batted ninth and went 1-for-3 in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Mets.

Smith made his third straight start at third base. Unlike the previous two, when he batted leadoff against righties, Smith was dropped to ninth against a lefty. That Charlie Culberson didn't get the start, as was the case the last time Texas faced a southpaw, is a signal the Rangers are going to get Smith into the lineup in more than a platoon role. Since coming off the injured list June 21, the rookie is 4-for-22 (.182) with five walks and three runs.

Berti went 0-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, two RBI and two stolen bases in Friday's 6-3 win over the Nationals.

Batting leadoff in place of the injured Jazz Chisholm (back) while getting the start in left field, Berti made a nuisance of himself on the basepaths once again, swiping bags in the third and sixth innings. The utility player now leads the majors with 24 steals, and 20 of them have come since the beginning of June -- a stretch during which he's also slashing .288/.353/.365 with 12 RBI and 16 runs in 27 games.

Turner went 2-for-5 with a stolen base, a run scored and three strikeouts in Friday's 5-1 win over the Padres.

Turner wasn't at his best at the plate, as this was his fifth multi-strikeout game in his last 13. He's also logged five multi-hit efforts in that span though, batting .317 (19-for-60) with three homers, three steals, nine RBI and 10 runs scored. The shortstop continues to be productive all around with a .306/.352/.485 slash line, 11 homers, 16 steals, 56 RBI and 42 runs scored through 76 contests overall. Mookie Betts (ribs) is ramping up his activity, but Turner is line to be the Dodgers' leadoff hitter at least until Betts is activated from the injured list.

Adames went 2-for-6 with a grand slam, three runs scored and a stolen base in Friday's 19-2 victory over the Pirates.

Adames reached base on a fielder's choice in the second inning before swiping a bag and scoring on a Rowdy Tellez homer. He singled and scored again in the fourth before capping off his day with a monster grand slam in the eighth. It's been a streaky season for Adames, who is now slashing .215/.283/.480 with 16 home runs, 45 RBI and 40 runs scored. Over his last 18 games, the 26-year-old shortstop has gone 20-for-77 (.260) with 11 extra-base hits and 19 strikeouts.

Crawford (knee) is feeling better and aims to return when first eligible Tuesday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford hit the injured list Sunday with left knee inflammation, but the issue evidently wasn't particularly serious. He hit on the field and took grounders Friday for the first time since landing on the injured list, and it looks like he won't miss much more time as long as he can avoid setbacks.

Pena cleared the concussion protocol and is in the lineup for Friday's game against the Angels, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pena suffered a mouth laceration in a collision with teammate Yordan Alvarez (head) on Wednesday, but Pena has been cleared of a concussion and will return to face Michael Lorenzen. Alvarez's status is unclear.

Wendle (hamstring) was activated from the 10-day injured list and will start at second base and bat second Friday versus the Nationals, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Wendle will return to the lineup Friday after missing the entire month of June. His return comes at a good time considering Jorge Soler (back) was placed on the 10-day IL earlier in the day. Wendle has produced a .284 average with two homers, 11 RBI, 12 runs and four stolen bases over 88 at-bats in 29 games this season.

Allen went 2-for-3 with a run in a loss to the Mariners on Thursday.

Allen extended his on-base streak to nine games with his multi-hit effort, a span that encompasses the entirety of his current big-league stint after he was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on June 21. The 23-year-old's surge has boosted his slash line to .250/.339/.385 across his first 59 plate appearances at the big-league level.

Cruz went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Thursday against the Brewers.

Cruz took Adrian Houser yard in the second inning to record his second home run of the season. Unsurprisingly, his power has translated quickly to the big-league level as five of Cruz's nine hits have gone for extra bases. However, he has also struck out at a 31.8 percent clip, suppressing his batting average to a mark of .214 across 44 plate appearances.

Crawford will begin serving his suspension Thursday after it was reduced from five to four games, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Crawford's suspension results from his role in a brawl that occurred during Sunday's game against the Angels, but he managed to get his sentence reduced by a game. The 27-year-old will be unavailable for the team's weekend series against the Athletics but will be able to use the Mariners' facilities to work out.