MLB Player News

Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced Monday that Cruz will be moved to center field, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Shelton suggested that the move will be permanent, with the skipper noting that Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nick Gonzales will be the team's everyday options at shortstop and second base, respectively, for the remainder of the season. Cruz played one inning in left field for the Pirates in 2022 and started nine games at the position for Triple-A Indianapolis in the same season. However, he has never seen action in center field, so the 25-year-old will be learning on the fly. According to Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates plan to ease Cruz into his transition to the outfield by deploying him mostly as a designated hitter initially.

Wilson (hamstring), who played a full game at shortstop in Triple-A Las Vegas' loss to Reno on Sunday and went 1-for-4 with a two-run double, is feeling great on his rehab assignment and could be activated from the IL this week, MLB.com reports.

The news was relayed via manager Mark Kotsay before Wilson played a full game Sunday, giving all the more weight to the statement. The rookie had notably logged seven innings on defense Saturday as well, seemingly corroborating his hamstring is back to full health. Wilson has swung a hot bat throughout his time with the Aviators, posting a .391 average (9-for-23) with three doubles, five RBI, two walks and four runs.

Witt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 11-3 loss to the Phillies.

Witt's 11-game hitting streak was snapped with an 0-for-4 effort Saturday, but he bounced back Sunday. His homer was his first since Aug. 16. The shortstop has hit .337 over 21 games in August, adding seven homers, 17 RBI, two steals and 20 runs scored. For the year, he's maintained a .347/.396/.611 slash line with 26 long balls, 93 RBI, 111 runs scored and 26 steals over 130 contests, putting him in good position for at least a 30-30 campaign.

Moore went 1-for-2 with two walks, three stolen bases and a run in a win over the Giants on Sunday.

Moore put together a signature leadoff performance, serving as a consistent irritant for Giants pitchers throughout the afternoon while swiping a career-high three bases. Moore is an impressive 27-for-32 overall in steal attempts this season, and he's now reached safely in four straight games. Sunday marked only his fourth appearance atop the order this season, but given the results, he could conceivably get more run as the leadoff hitter the rest of the way under new manager Dan Wilson.

Schuemann is expected to see most of his reps at third base moving forward after the Athletics optioned Darell Hernaiz to Triple-A Las Vegas following Sunday's 4-3 win over the Brewers, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

Schuemann has made each of his last 30 starts at shortstop, but he'll likely see fewer opportunities at that position moving forward with Jacob Wilson (hamstring) likely to return from the injured list ahead of Tuesday's series opener in Cincinnati. The Athletics are still expected to keep Schuemann in the lineup on at least a semi-regular basis by deploying him at the hot corner, where Hernaiz had been serving as the team's primary option prior to his demotion. Schuemann's last start at third base came back on July 19, which coincided with Wilson making his MLB debut as Oakland's starting shortstop before exiting that game early due to the hamstring strain.

Tovar went 1-for-5 on Sunday against the Yankees.

Tovar had a productive weekend series in New York, going 4-for-13 with three doubles and two runs scored. However, he's endured significant struggles throughout August by hitting just .178 with an abysmal 34 percent strikeout rate and 3.2 percent walk rate. Positively, he still has 11 runs scored in 21 games for the month.

Rocchio is absent from the lineup for the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Royals.

The Guardians will go with Tyler Freeman at shortstop for the first game of the twin bill. Rocchio has typically seen most of the starts at shortstop against right-handed pitching of late and should be back in the lineup for the nightcap, when righty Alec Marsh is slated to start for the Royals.

The Marlins are expected to place Edwards (back) on the 10-day injured list prior to Monday's game against the Rockies, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Outfielder Griffin Conine is set to receive a call-up from Triple-A Jacksonville and will meet up with the Marlins in Colorado for the start of the club's four-game series with the Rockies, while Edwards will head to the IL to open up on a spot on the 26-man active roster. Edwards had missed the Marlins' past two games with lower-back discomfort, and though an MRI returned negative and he was able to do some work on the field Sunday, the club wants to give the young infielder more time to heal up from the injury. Edwards' placement on the IL will be retroactive to Saturday, and he should have a good chance at being ready to return when first eligible Sept. 3. Vidal Brujan is likely to step in as the Marlins' primary shortstop while Edwards is on the shelf.

Seager went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Guardians.

Seager brought the Rangers within one run with an eighth-inning solo shot. It was the 29th of the season for Seager, who is on the precipice of a third consecutive season with at least 30 home runs.

De La Cruz went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh.

De La Cruz's seventh-inning single plated the team's first run and was the Reds' only hit with runners in scoring position. It was his third multi-hit game in the last five contests. In typical De La Cruz fashion, he's filled up the box score during that stretch, going 9-for-21 with a home run, six RBI, two steals and seven runs scored.