MLB Player News

Pennington signed a minor league contract with the Rangers on Friday.

Pennington was dreadful in 16 games for the Reds, as he hit just .138/.265/.138 with no extra-base hits in 29 at-bats. He hasn't posted an OPS above .700 since 2010, and his usefulness, should he make it to the majors with Texas, will mostly lie in his ability to play multiple infield positions.

DeJong (hand) will undergo surgery to have a plate inserted into his fractured left hand Friday night, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The fracture occurred when DeJong was hit by a pitch in Thursday's game against the Phillies but he remained in the game, making Friday's news a complete surprise. No timetable for his return is yet known, but Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports the surgery should expedite what would otherwise be an 8-to-12 week recovery process. Jedd Gyorko will start at shortstop Friday, and the team also recalled Yairo Munoz from Triple-A Memphis.

Swanson (wrist) is expected to return to the Braves on Saturday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Swanson has been out since May 4 with wrist inflammation. The young shortstop has been rehabbing with Low-A Rome but will get the day off Friday before likely heading back to Atlanta on Saturday. Prior to the injury, the 2015 first-overall pick was hitting a solid .289/.336/.430 in 28 games.

Ahmed is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets.

Ahmed will be the odd man out of the infield rotation Friday with the return of third baseman Jake Lamb from the disabled list. Ketel Marte will start at shortstop with Daniel Descalso taking over at second base. Ahmed is in the midst of a slump and is slashing .135/.164/.231 with 16 strikeouts in 52 at-bats during May.

Pennington utilized his opt-out clause and elected free agency Friday.

Pennington played in 16 games for the Reds this season prior to being designated for assignment and sent down to Triple-A Louisville in late April. The veteran infielder will look to latch on with another organization in the coming weeks, though he will be hard-pressed to find a role where he can make a substantial impact at the major-league level.

Gordon's positional switch from center field to second base is effective beginning with Friday's game against the Tigers, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The 30-year-old has been putting in infield work over the last several days in anticipation of returning to the keystone, where he's already logged 502 major-league games. Gordon's positional shift comes as a result of Robinson Cano's finger injury and 80-game suspension, but manager Scott Servais sounded a confident tone regarding the likelihood of a seamless transition for the versatile veteran. "He's been an All-Star and won a Gold Glove. I don't know where you're going to do better than that," Servais said. "We just happen to have him on our roster and we'll take advantage of that. Dee is excited about it and ready to go."

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer during a victory over the Orioles on Thursday.

X-Man left the yard for the second straight night and for his sixth time this year, uncorking one off the light tower above the Green Monster with two on to send Kevin Gausman to the showers. Now batting .313 with a .918 OPS on the year, Bogaerts has shown a more aggressive and flyball-based plate approach. He will continue to occupy a vital spot in the middle of this lethal Boston lineup.

Wendle is out of the lineup against the Angels on Thursday, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wendle will take a seat with left-hander Tyler Skaggs on the mound for Los Angeles. In his place, Daniel Robertson will start at second base and bat third.

Crawford (forearm) took batting practice Thursday and could be nearing a rehab assignment, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

The batting practice session is Crawford's second since sustaining the forearm strain in late April. The 23-year-old is headed to High-A Clearwater for the next step in his rehab, but it remains unclear when exactly he is expected to return.

Sardinas (back) is close to playing in games at extended spring training, Rich Dubroff of PressBoxonline.com reports.

Sardinas has been on the shelf since the end of April with a back injury, but he's apparently shown improvement and is nearing a return to game action. It's unclear if Sardinas will require a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the Orioles, leaving his return date up in the air. With Jonathan Schoop healthy and back in action, Sardinas isn't even guaranteed to stick with the big cub once he's activated.