MLB Player News

Franco has been named to the Rays' 40-man postseason player pool, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Teams in the postseason will be allowed to carry a 40-man pool, even though only 28 players will be eligible for active status at any one time. Franco's inclusion is notable considering his elite prospect status, although it's still more likely that he doesn't see any game action. Nevertheless, Toribio notes Franco could still benefit from being around the team in a playoff environment in anticipation of a big-league roster spot in 2021.

Adames, who went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Orioles on Sunday, is nevertheless slashing just .104/.173/.229 over the 52 plate appearances encompassing his last 13 games.

Adames' season line was up to an impressive .322/.398/.585 following a fourth straight multi-hit effort on Sept. 2 in a win over the Yankees, but the shortstop has been in a deep funk since. At the heart of the 25-year-old's extended struggles is a massive 51.9 percent strikeout rate over that span, which has helped limit Adames to just five total hits during the sample. There was a glimmer of hope to be found in Sunday's round tripper, however, as it marked the second time Adames left the yard in the last three games.

Baez will start at shortstop and will bat seventh Monday against the Pirates.

For the second straight game, Baez will hit seventh in the order -- his lowest lineup slot of the season. After briefly appearing to escape his season-long skid with six hits in a four-game stretch from Sept. 12 to 16, Baez proceeded to go 1-for-10 with four strikeouts during the Cubs' weekend series with the Twins. He enters play Monday with a .205/.242/.364 slash line on the season.

Garcia isn't starting Monday against the Brewers.

Garcia will remain out of the lineup for the second consecutive game despite recording seven hits in his last 21 at-bats. Freddy Galvis will take over at shortstop in his place.

Anderson (hamstring) will start at shortstop and will leadoff Monday against the Indians.

Anderson looked like a prime candidate to receive a day off Monday after exiting Sunday's loss to the Reds with a right hamstring cramp, but the 27-year-old evidently feels ready to play through the pain as the White Sox look to secure the American League's top record during the final week of the regular season. He'll occupy his familiar perch atop the order, where he's been a spark plug all season for one of the majors' most potent lineups. Anderson maintains a .996 OPS on the campaign, a 131-point increase from the career-best mark he posted in 2019.

Bichette went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and two runs scored in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Phillies.

Bichette scored runs in the first and seventh innings Sunday, giving him 14 runs scored on the season. The 22-year-old shortstop is sporting a strong .306/.327/.551 slash line with 13 extra-base hits in just 101 plate appearances.

Turner went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Marlins.

After a 1-for-4 showing in the matinee, Turner was back atop the order for Game 2, and he kicked off the scoring in the first inning with his 10th home run of the season. The shortstop was not running much at all early on, but he has racked up nine steals in his last 32 games. He's slashing .337/.394/.582 overall and should be an easy first-rounder in rotisserie leagues again next season.

Crawford went 2-for-5 with a grand slam, an additional run scored and a double in Sunday's 14-2 win over the Athletics.

Crawford's slam in the sixth inning off Athletics reliever J.B. Wendelken blew things wide open for the Giants' offense. It was Crawford's sixth homer of the year. The shortstop is slashing .283/.352/.483 with 23 RBI, 24 runs scored and a stolen base in 46 contests.

The Rays aren't expected to have Franco make his big-league debut until 2021, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Tampa Bay is including Franco in its 40-man postseason pool, but barring an injury to Willy Adames, the 19-year-old switch hitter likely won't be making an appearance this fall. Despite not having the opportunity to play in affiliated ball in 2020, Franco remains the top prospect in baseball and will likely retain that title until he reaches the majors.

Anderson exited Sunday's game against the Reds with a right hamstring cramp, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before being lifted for a pinch hitter during the seventh inning. Anderson should be considered day-to-day.