MLB Player News

Wendle is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The Rays' flexible roster means it's not immediately clear how the arrival of Wander Franco will affect the rest of the team's playing time. Franco starts in Wendle's usual spot at third base for his MLB debut Tuesday, but it will take more than one game to determine how Wendle's role will change. Wendle is hitting a strong .294/.350/.491 on the season, though it wouldn't be a surprise to see him sitting more often against lefties like Tuesday's starter Eduardo Rodriguez going forward.

Franco was officially called up as expected for his MLB debut Tuesday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Franco is an elite prospect, the likes of whom only come around a few times each decade. He combines true top-of-the-scale contact ability with above-average skills in all other areas of his game. Exactly how much of his sky-high potential manifests in his first season in the majors remains to be seen, though he certainly didn't struggle at the highest level of the minors, cruising to a .315/.367/.586 line with seven homers and five steals in 39 games for Triple-A Durham. He's primarily a shortstop but could be used elsewhere in the infield, including third base, where he'll make his debut Tuesday against Boston. Franco will bat second in the order, according to Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network.

Ahmed went 2-for-4 with a run scored Monday in the Diamondbacks' 5-1 win over the Brewers.

Ahmed's two-hit night put an end to a 4-for-44 skid over his previous 13 games. Though he's valued mostly for his excellent defense at shortstop, Ahmed has still been a major disappointment this season from an offensive standpoint. After delivering an OPS over .700 in each of the past four seasons, Ahmed is currently sitting on a .565 mark through 222 plate appearances in 2021.

Seager (hand) won't start a rehab assignment until next Monday, Michael J. Duarte of NBC LA reports.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had previously indicated that Seager could start up a minor-league rehab assignment as soon as Friday, but the skipper indicated Monday that the shortstop will instead wait until early next week to return to game action. There is nothing to suggest that Seager has suffered a setback, and the delay could simply have to do with the shortstop's desire to work on a few things at the Dodgers' training facility in Arizona, as reported by Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. Seager remains on track for a return to the big club in early July.

Witt went 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI, run and two stolen bases Sunday in Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 8-2 win over San Antonio.

Witt's muted start to the season at Northwest Arkansas looks to be a distant memory at this point. After supplying his fifth consecutive multi-hit effort Sunday, Witt is holding down a .343/.405/.672 slash line in June, which has elevated his season-long OPS to a robust .913. The Royals have yet to tip their hand when Witt might be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Omaha, or perhaps directly to the big club.

The Royals placed Mondesi on the 10-day injured list Monday with a strained left oblique.

Though Mondesi isn't dealing with an aggravation of the strained right oblique that sidelined him for nearly two months to begin the season, he'll still be forced to the IL for the third time in 2021 while tending to an injury to his other side. General manager Dayton Moore was unwilling to provide a timeline on Mondesi's return when he met with the media earlier Monday, so the 25-year-old looks like he could be at major risk of spending longer than the minimum amount of time on the shelf. While Mondesi is sidelined again, the Royals are expected to turn to Nicky Lopez to pick up most of the work at shortstop.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Monday that Mondesi is dealing with a left oblique injury and will likely be placed on the 10-day injured list prior to the team's series opener with the Yankees on Tuesday, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Kansas City will presumably put Mondesi through additional tests before formally deciding on his status, but the speedy shortstop looks like he'll be shut down yet again on account of another injury. Mondesi has already had two separate stints on the IL due to a strained right oblique and a left hamstring strain, but since the 25-year-old's latest injury is to his left side, he's not dealing with an aggravation of the previous oblique issue that sidelined him for nearly two months. Even so, these kind of injuries often carry volatile timelines, making it difficult to predict when Mondesi might be ready to play again. Nicky Lopez is expected to serve as the primary option at shortstop for the duration of Mondesi's absence.

Wendle, who went 1-for-4 with a run in an extra-inning loss to the Mariners on Sunday, is hitting .367 (11-for-30) with three doubles, one home run, five RBI, a walk, a stolen base, a hit-by-pitch and four runs over his last eight games.

The hot stretch includes a quartet of multi-hit efforts, the most impressive being a 3-for-4 tally in Saturday's victory over the Mariners. Wendle's season slash line now stands at .292/.350/.491 across 234 plate appearances, and he's already equaled his career high with seven home runs.

Edman went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and three runs scored in a 9-1 win over Atlanta in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader.

Edman put up his first multi-hit performance since June 9, and St. Louis' offense brought him home each time he got aboard. While the matinee was an encouraging performance for the infielder, he went 0-for-3 in the nightcap. Overall, Edman is slashing .264/.308/.380 with four home runs, 13 stolen bases, 18 RBI and 40 runs scored through 312 plate appearances.

Crawford went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, four RBI and a walk in Sunday's 11-2 win over the Phillies.

Crawford ripped a two-run shot off Zach Eflin in the third inning, his 16th of the season, and later added some insurance with a two-run double in the eighth. The veteran shortstop entered Sunday in a 4-for-34 slump with one multi-hit game over his previous 10 appearances. He improved his season OPS to .873 with 27 extra-base hits and 48 RBI.