MLB Player News

Velazquez went 1-for-2 with a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Royals.

Velazquez has logged two steals over his last three games, though he's also struck out five times in that span. The shortstop is up to 10 thefts this season, and he's yet to get caught stealing. He's posted a lackluster .175/.219/.273 slash line with four home runs, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored and six doubles across 197 plate appearances, and it's expected he could see a challenge for playing time from utility man Tyler Wade going forward.

Cruz went 2-for-5 with a double, four RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 12-1 win over the Cubs.

Cruz was as advertised in his season debut Monday, flashing his potential as a five-tool star. His most impactful moment was a rocket line-drive double that brought in three runs during the third inning. Per MLB Pipeline, the 23-year-old shortstop recorded the fastest throw by an MLB infielder this season while also posting elite sprint speeds. Cruz posted a .758 OPS with Triple-A Indianapolis this season but it looks like he'll be a permanent fixture in the Pirates' lineup moving forward.

Anderson (groin) was activated off the injured list Monday and will lead off and play shortstop against the Blue Jays.

Anderson was given a three-week timetable when he hit the injured list with a strained right groin at the end of May, and he'll be back right on schedule after going 5-for-15 across four rehab games. He was having an excellent season prior to his injury, hitting .356/.393/.503 with five homers and eight steals in 40 games, so the White Sox will be counting on him to kickstart a stalled season. Yoan Moncada (hamstring) hit the injured list in a corresponding move.

Abrams was recalled by the Padres on Monday.

Abrams joined the Opening Day roster straight from Double-A this season but looked overmatched. He was demoted a little over a month into the season after struggling to a .182/.270/.273 line in 20 games. He's fared far better in his first taste of Triple-A action, hitting .314/.365/.507 in 30 games for Triple-A El Paso. Depending on the severity of Manny Machado's ankle sprain, Abrams could be in line to start regularly going forward, with Ha-Seong Kim sliding to cover third base, leaving Abrams as the primary option at shortstop.

Crawford isn't starting Monday's game against Atlanta, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Crawford will get a breather after he hit .233 with two doubles, five RBI and a run over the last nine games. Thairo Estrada is taking over at shortstop while Wilmer Flores starts at second base.

Castillo is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.

Pittsburgh called up top prospect Oneil Cruz from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier Monday and will have him make his first start with the big club at shortstop, where he'll likely handle an everyday role moving forward. As a result, Castillo no longer has a path to steady playing time at the position, but he could get a look at second base while the likes of Josh VanMeter (finger) and Kevin Newman (groin) are on the shelf. However, it'll be Hoy Park who picks up the start at the keystone Monday after slugging a solo home run in Sunday's 4-3 win.

The Pirates recalled Cruz from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. He'll start at shortstop and bat sixth in the Pirates' series opener against the Cubs.

Infielder Liover Peguero was sent to Double-A Altoona to clear room on the 26-man active roster for Cruz, who is with the big club for the first time in 2022 after getting the chance to make his MLB debut last September. The Pirates delayed calling up Cruz more than two months into the season for dubious reasons, but he'll likely be immediately installed as the team's everyday shortstop. Over his 55 games with Indianapolis this season, Cruz slashed .232/.336/.422 with nine home runs and 11 stolen bases across 247 plate appearances.

The Red Sox recalled Downs from Triple-A Worcester on Monday.

Downs was a big enough prospect to be a key part of the return in the trade which sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers prior to the 2020 season, but he's had a difficult time at the plate for his new organization. After hitting .190/.272/.333 in 99 Triple-A games last season, he's managed a .180/.297/.397 line in 53 games at that level in 2022. His strikeout rate was north of 30 percent in both seasons. There's potential for an interesting power-speed combo here, as he homered 25 times and stole 29 bases in 152 games since the start of last year, but he'll need to make far more contact if he's to be a viable major-league regular.

Story went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run Sunday in the Red Sox's 6-4 win over the Cardinals.

Story's second-inning, two-out blast off St. Louis starter Andre Pallante ended a 20-game home-run drought, during which the 29-year-old contributed only six extra-base hits (all doubles). Aside from a one-week stretch in late May in which he slugged seven home runs and drove in 21, Story's first season in Boston has largely been a disappointment. He'll enter Monday's series opener against the Tigers with a .221/.304/.411 slash line and a 31.2 percent strikeout rate, his highest percentage since the 2017 campaign.

Swanson went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two steals in Sunday's win over the Cubs.

Swanson's two scores came on a Travis d'Arnaud homer in the first inning and an Austin Riley double in the fifth. He also swiped two bags against Kyle Hendricks to give him 11 this season. The shortstop has been on fire in June, with at least one hit in 15 of 17 games, including eight multi-hit games. Swanson is slashing .362/.443/.551 this month and has raised his season batting average to .294.