MLB Player News

Baez (thumb) is batting third and playing shortstop Tuesday against the Mets.

As anticipated, Baez returns to the starting lineup after sitting Sunday and Monday with thumb soreness. He did have one at-bat as a pinch hitter Monday, a sign that he was ready to rejoin the lineup. June has been rough so far for Baez, who's gone 3-for-32 with 15 strikeouts this month.

Mondesi (hamstring) is running well and almost ready to be activated from the injured list, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi is "very close," according to manager Mike Matheny. The Royals' skipper added that Monday was the first day Mondesi ran without favoring his left hamstring, which he strained May 31. It's unclear exactly when the 25-year-old will be activated, but Matheny's update suggests it will be within the next few days.

Barrero (personal), who left Double-A Chattanooga for just over a week in late May, is hitting .333/.385/.417 with a home run, a stolen base, nine RBI and 10 runs in his 12 games since rejoining the affiliate.

Barrero took some time away from baseball to mourn the passing of his mother, who died due to complications related to COVID-19. Upon returning to action, the 23-year-old shortstop was quickly able to pick up where he left off, and he could soon be in store for a promotion to Triple-A Louisville.

Fletcher went 4-for-5 with a double and one RBI in Monday's 8-5 loss to Oakland.

Fletcher collected four of the Angels' 14 hits in Monday's loss, including an RBI single in the seventh inning. It was his second straight multi-hit game and fourth in the last nine games. The 5-foot-9 utilityman improved his OPS to .619 with 20 RBI this season.

Crawford went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI in Monday's 5-2 win over Arizona.

Crawford broke a 1-1 tie with his two-run shot in the fifth inning and later brought in an insurance run with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly. The veteran shortstop entered Monday's game in a 1-for-16 but broke out of it with his fourth multi-hit game of the month. He's slashing .257/.341/.545 with 24 extra-base hits and 44 RBI this season.

Bichette went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Monday's loss to the Red Sox.

Bichette reached base in the fourth inning on a single to center and managed to reach scoring position after swiping his ninth bag of the season, but Toronto failed to drive him in. The shortstop has hit safely in 11 of 12 contests in June, going 18-for-51 with two homers, seven RBI and two stolen bases over that stretch.

Baez (thumb) expects to be available off the bench Monday against the Mets and hopes to return to the lineup Tuesday, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Baez battled thumb soreness throughout last week, missing a total of four games. He'll miss another one to start this week, but the issue doesn't appear to be particularly serious and a trip to the injured list doesn't seem to be on the cards.

Manager Don Mattingly said the Marlins hope Rojas (finger) will be activated this weekend during the three-game series against the Cubs, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

The veteran shortstop began a rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Jacksonville, so a weekend return would provide him a few games in the minors before being activated. Rojas landed on the shelf with a dislocated and fractured left index finger May 28 and it appears he's set to be activated after missing about three weeks.

Baez (thumb) remains out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.

Thumb soreness cost Baez the first three games of last week and sent him back to the bench for Sunday's game. His latest absence will last at least two games, with the Cubs yet to specific exactly when he'll return to the lineup. Sergio Alcantara starts at shortstop in his absence.

Vincej signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners on June 3 and was assigned to the organization's rookie-level Arizona League affiliate.

After electing free agency following the 2019 season, Vincej appeared to be transitioning into a post-playing career, as he had accepted a coaching position at Pepperdine, his alma mater. The 30-year-old infielder has apparently since reconsidered his stance, and he'll attempt to reboot his career with Seattle, the organization in which he spent the 2018 campaign. Vincej enjoyed cups of coffee in the big leagues with both Cincinnati and Seattle in 2017 and 2018, respectively, appearing in 10 games between the two clubs.