MLB Player News

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.

Downs went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 13-2 loss to the Yankees.

Downs brought Boston to within one run with the first home run of his MLB career, a two-run shot off Gerrit Cole in the third inning. Sunday may have been his final MLB action at this juncture, as the Red Sox anticipate the returns of Christian Arroyo (groin) and Trevor Story (hand) after the All-Star break.

Pena went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Sunday against the Athletics.

Pena took Adam Oller yard in the fifth inning to record his 13th homer of the season. In seven games since returning from health and safety protocols, Pena has hit .207 with four RBI and two runs scored. Despite the slow stretch, Pena has still maintained a .263/.310/.454 across 284 plate appearances on the season.

Adames went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Giants.

Adames concluded the Brewers' first-half schedule with a pair of two-hit games to lift his batting average to .220. His first-inning home run was his 19th of the season, keeping him one ahead of Rowdy Tellez for the team lead.

Lindor went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Cubs.

The shortstop extended his current hitting streak to 11 games in the final contest before the All-Star break, while the steal was his 10th of the season. Lindor has seven career seasons with double-digit pilfers, and the only time he failed to reach that mark was in the shortened 2020 campaign.