MLB Player News

Crawford went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Rays.

The shortstop took reliever Colin Poche deep in the seventh inning for his third long ball of the season. Crawford has started the 2022 campaign hot from the dish, producing a .349/.455/.587 slash with seven extra-base hits and nine RBI.

Smith (ankle) reported to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday to begin a rehab assignment.

Smith landed on the shelf last week with a bone bruise in his left ankle, and the start of a rehab assignment indicates it won't be a long stay on the injured list. The 25-year-old should only require a couple games in the minors and should rejoin the A's this weekend.

Velazquez isn't starting Wednesday against the Guardians, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez has gone 0-for-9 with a walk and two strikeouts in his last three appearances, and he'll be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. Tyler Wade will shift to shortstop while Jack Mayfield starts at second base.

Mondesi (knee) will be placed on the injured list Thursday, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Mondesi was removed from Tuesday's win over the White Sox due to knee discomfort, and he underwent an MRI that revealed some structural damage. While a timetable for the 26-year-old's return isn't yet clear, it seems likely that he'll be forced to spend more than the minimum of 10 days on the shelf.

Lopez (oblique) began a rehab assignment at Single-A Dunedin on Saturday and has gone hitless with a walk and RBI over eight plate appearances through two games.

Lopez is eventually expected to advance to Triple-A Buffalo, where he currently resides on the 7-day injured list after hurting his oblique during spring training. The 23-year-old possesses a spot on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster and when healthy, he should be one of the top candidates for a call-up if the big club requires an extra infielder at any point.

Barrero (hand) has been playing in the field at the Reds' extended spring training facility recently, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

The Reds indicated last week that Barrero had begun a hitting progression, and his return to fielding indicates another step in his recovery. The 24-year-old is expected to ramp up his hitting next week and should be in the mix for a rehab assignment sometime after that. Although he's made progress in his recovery recently, he doesn't yet have a timetable to rejoin the major-league club.

Castillo will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Castillo had made each of his last three starts in right field, but he looks as though he could get an extended trial as the Pirates' everyday shortstop after Kevin Newman was diagnosed Wednesday with a groin injury that's expected to sideline him for 3-to-5 weeks. Though he's receiving the leadoff assignment Wednesday against Brewers lefty Aaron Ashby, the righty-hitting Castillo is expected to slot closer to the middle or bottom of the lineup versus right-handed pitching.

Rojas (illness) is starting Wednesday against the Nationals, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

Rojas didn't appear in the last three games while dealing with flu-like symptoms, but he'll be back in action Wednesday. He's hitting .186 with a triple, a double, three runs and two RBI this year.

McLain is hitting .278/.365/.593 with three homers, three steals, 12 RBI and 13 runs across 15 games for Double-A Chattanooga.

After a solid pro debut in High-A last year, the Reds moved McLain somewhat aggressively to Double-A, and he's rewarded them with a productive start to the year. The UCLA product's strikeout rate has ticked up a bit, but it's not in concerning territory, especially while he's hitting the ball this hard -- he's racked up four doubles and a pair of triples to go with his trio of long balls. We'll see whether he can maintain this level of power output; if so, it'll lift his prospect profile considerably, as he already boasts an above-average hit tool and good speed.

Winn has hit safely in 10 straight games (and reached safely in all 11) for High-A Peoria, accumulating a .415/.468/.683 line with a homer, two doubles, three triples and four steals so far this season.

Winn came into pro ball with questions as to whether he'd stick as a pitcher or a shortstop, and after he posted modest results with the bat last year, there were some questions as to the Cardinals' intentions for him. But they stuck with him at short, and he's rewarded them by flashing tremendous plate discipline (6:7 BB:K) as well as game-breaking speed early in 2022. He likely won't be fast-tracked through the minor leagues, but if Winn keeps hitting this way, a promotion to Double-A should certainly be forthcoming.