MLB Player News

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that Johnson will undergo left knee surgery Thursday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

According to Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com, Johnson will require an ACL reconstruction plus an LCL procedure on the knee, which he injured during an Aug. 8 game with Triple-A Indianapolis. Tomczyk said that a timeline for Johnson's return will be established once surgery is completed, but given that the operation will address damage to multiple ligaments, the 22-year-old will likely remain out well into the 2027 season. Johnson hit .198/.332/.319 with eight home runs and 24 stolen bases over 95 games with Indianapolis before the knee injury ended his season.

The Cubs placed Swanson (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Monday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Swanson is facing a 4-to-6 week recovery timeline due to a Grade 2 left oblique strain that he suffered during the Cubs' 11-4 loss to the Cardinals. Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com, the Cubs are hoping that Swanson's timeline is closer to four weeks, which would put him on track to return by mid-September with a couple of weeks left before the playoff begins, if the Cubs qualify. The Cubs selected Owen Miller's contract from Triple-A Iowa to provide infield depth, but Nico Hoerner figures to be Chicago's everyday shortstop for as long as Swanson is on the shelf.

Story (sports hernia) said that he could be reinstated from the 60-day injured list as soon as Friday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Story has been on the shelf since May 16 following sports hernia surgery, but he's finally nearing the finish line of what's been a lengthy recovery process. He kicked off a rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Worcester and went 1-for-2 at the dish while playing four innings at shortstop. Story is scheduled to play for Worcester on consecutive days Tuesday and Wednesday before rejoining the Red Sox for a re-evaluation. If the Red Sox medical staff is satisfied with Story's health, he could get the green light to return to action for the big club during their weekend series with the Giants. Once activated, Story will likely usurp Andruw Monasterio as the Red Sox's preferred option at shortstop.

Montgomery is not in the lineup for Monday's game versus the Cubs.

Montgomery had made 19 straight starts, but he's managed a lowly .539 OPS with a 39.3 percent strikeout rate over that span. With a lefty in Shota Imanaga on the hill for the Cubs, the left-handed-hitting Montgomery will get a day to regroup. Luisangel Acuna will cover shortstop for the White Sox.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Monday that Griffin has been cleared to transition out of the splint he had been wearing on his injured left ring finger, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Ditching the splint represents an important milestone in Griffin's recovery from a torn tendon in the finger, as he'll now be able to increase the intensity and volume of his baseball activities. Once the Pirates' homestand concludes Wednesday, Griffin is scheduled to report to the team's spring training facility in Florida to begin a hitting progression and playing catch. He'll likely remain in Florida for the duration of his rehab program before he's cleared to report to a minor-league affiliate to start playing in games. If all goes well, Tomczyk relayed that the Pirates are "optimistic" that Griffin will be ready to return to the big-league roster when he's first eligible to come off the 60-day injured list Sept. 4.

Swanson was diagnosed Monday with a Grade 2 left oblique strain, which typically carries a recovery timeline of 4-to-6 weeks, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The Cubs are expected to officially place Swanson on the 10-day injured list prior to Monday's game against the White Sox after he was forced out of Sunday's 11-4 loss to the Cardinals with the injury. Assuming the projected recovery timeline holds, Swanson won't be available until around mid-September in a best-case scenario, though the Cubs are hopeful that he'll be back to full health in advance of the playoffs. While Swanson is out, Nico Hoerner is expected to settle in as the Cubs' everyday shortstop, and Pedro Ramirez could operate as the primary option at second base until Matt Shaw (hand) is ready to come off the IL.

Walls is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Walls is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak, but he'll put it on hold for a night as the Rays give him some rest. Jorge Mateo will step in at shortstop in place of Walls, who is still slashing just .240/.296/.360 since the All-Star break in spite of his recent hot stretch at the dish.

Turner (knee) will start at shortstop and bat second in Monday's game versus the Marlins.

Turner did not play in Sunday's contest against the Twins after fouling a ball of his lower right leg Saturday. It will be only a one-game absence for the shortstop, as he's feeling well enough to give in a go Monday as the Phillies open up a homestand.

King isn't expected to receive a promotion to the majors before the end of the season, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

The Nationals' decision to shift CJ Abrams off shortstop created some speculation that the organization could be making room for King, who's produced a .301/.376/.505 slash line in 47 games since a promotion to Triple-A Rochester. The Nats believe the 23-year-old still has things to learn and improve on in the minors, however. King also isn't likely to be the team's shortstop of the future, with Eli Willits rising quickly behind him in the system, and having him adapt to a new position as well will be easier in the minors than the majors.

Gimenez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Yankees.

The steal was Gimenez's 17th of the season, and five of them have come in August -- a month in which he's produced a .296/.361/.407 slash line with one homer, eight runs and eight RBI in 16 contests. The veteran infielder is still batting in the lower part of the order, but if he stays hot he could get some looks in a more fantasy-friendly spot as the Jays search for offense while Vladimir Guerrero (concussion) is on the shelf.