MLB Player News

Turner officially landed on the COVID-19 injured list Thursday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The move is an expected one, as Turner left Tuesday's game against the Phillies after being informed of a positive test for the virus. Given that he's a known positive and isn't merely absent due to contact tracing, he'll need more than just a day or two before he's cleared to return.

Anderson will sit Thursday against the Royals.

This appears to be nothing more than a routine day off for the star shortstop. Danny Mendick will slide over to the position in his absence, with Andrew Vaughn starting at second base.

Baez (heel) is starting Thursday's game against the Reds.

Baez was held out of the lineup in each of the last three games due to a bruised left heel, but he'll play shortstop and bat fourth Thursday. Since the All-Star break, the 28-year-old has hit .293 with a home run, two doubles, nine RBI, six runs and three stolen bases.

Wendle will sit Thursday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wendle hits the bench even with the right-handed Gerrit Cole on the mound for the Yankees. Yandy Diaz gets the start at third base.

Strange-Gordon has one hit in his last 20 at-bats for Triple-A Indianapolis.

The second baseman is among several candidates who might see time at second base in Pittsburgh before season's end. He's likely behind Rodolfo Castro, Wilmer Difo, Tucupita Marcano and Erik Gonzalez (side) in the pecking order, but Strange-Gordon's stolen base ability will put him on the fringe of the fantasy radar if he receives that chance. The 33-year-old is hitting .252 with five homers and six steals split between three Triple-A teams in 2021.

Story went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer and a walk in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to the Angels.

Story's only hit of the night came early as he launched a two-run homer in the first inning for a quick 2-0 lead. The 28-year-old has seen a dip in his hitting and overall power this season, as he's slashing .240/.313/.429 with 13 homers, 48 RBI, 48 runs scored, 17 steals and 32:90 BB:K over 371 plate appearances. He's struggled in 11 games since the All-Star break with a .586 OPS and 36.7 percent strikeout rate.

Diaz went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI in Wednesday's 11-4 win over the Mariners.

Diaz continues to fill in for the injured Alex Bregman (quadriceps), who remains on a rehab assignment that should run through next week. In the two games since coming off his own stay on the injured list, Diaz has four hits, two doubles, four RBI and two runs over 11 plate appearances.

Smith will be traded from the Yankees to the Rangers along with Trevor Hauver, Ezequiel Duran and Glenn Otto in exchange for Joey Gallo and Joely Rodriguez, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Smith has spent the 2021 campaign with both Low-A Hudson Valley and High-A Tampa. He has experienced success at both levels, though that should be expected given that he is nearly 24. It's possible the Rangers push him to Double-A, which should provide a more realistic idea of his future potential.

Duran will be traded by the Yankees to the Rangers along with Trevor Hauver, Josh Smith and Glenn Otto in exchange for Joely Rodriguez and Joey Gallo, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Duran has spent the 2021 season with High-A Hudson Valley and experienced plenty of success. He's maintained a .290/.374/.533 line -- good for a 141 wRC+ -- while striking out a 23.9 percent clip and walking 9.4 percent of the time. Though he won't reach the majors for a few seasons, Duran should be considered among the Rangers' better middle-infield prospects.

Bichette went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Bichette produced Toronto's only run in the second game of a doubleheader, singling home Vladimir Guerrero in the fourth inning. He stole second base later in the frame, his team-leading 15th swipe of the season. Bichette is 8-for-15 in four games since being moved to the cleanup spot over the weekend and is now slashing .297/.349/.484 with 18 homers in 430 plate appearances on the year.