MLB Player News

Smith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.

Texas will send the left-handed-hitting Smith to the bench while southpaw Max Fried toes the rubber for New York in the series opener. Ezequiel Duran will cover second base in Smith's absence.

Brito is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.

After making six consecutive starts following his call-up from Triple-A Columbus on April 7, Brito has now been included in the lineup in eight of the Guardians' ensuing 13 contests. Brito -- who has mustered a lowly .505 OPS over his first 56 plate appearances in the big leagues -- looks like he may have to settle for a part-time role in the middle infield even while the Guardians remain without Gabriel Arias (hamstring).

DeJong informed the Yankees on Monday that he will opt out of his minor-league contract at the end of April if he's not promoted to the majors, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

DeJong has posted a .900 OPS with six home runs over 22 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. However, with Anthony Volpe (shoulder) poised for activation from the injured list this week, the Yankees may have a tough time squeezing DeJong onto the big-league roster.

Volpe (shoulder) is expected to rejoin the Yankees between Wednesday and Thursday and could be activated from the 10-day injured list, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Volpe is eight games into a rehab stint that has been split between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 24-year-old has looked good so far, slashing .308/.333/.423 with a home run, three RBI and two stolen bases, though he's also posted a 1:7 BB:K. Per Romero, Volpe is expected to play a couple more games with Somerset before making his long-awaited return to the big-league club around the middle of the week. The Yankees have an early game Wednesday and are off Thursday, so the club could wait until Friday's series opener in Baltimore before formally activating Volpe. Whenever he's cleared to make his season debut for the Yankees, Volpe is likely to start regularly at shortstop, which would result in Jose Caballero shifting into more of a utility role.

Neto went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 11-9 extra-inning loss to the Royals.

This was Neto's first multi-hit effort over his last eight games. The shortstop has gone 7-for-30 (.233) in that span, though he has added four doubles, four RBI and three stolen bases. For the season, he's batting .243 with an .803 OPS, five home runs, eight doubles, four steals, 14 RBI and 21 runs scored across 29 contests. Neto has also drawn 20 walks so far, which has helped him function effectively as a leadoff hitter.

Witt went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and a triple in Sunday's 11-9 extra-inning win over the Angels.

Witt decided that one month was long enough, taking Reid Detmers deep in the sixth inning. This was Witt's first homer of the season. He's made up for the lack of power with consistency at the plate, hitting safely in eight straight games, and he's been held hitless just six times in 28 contests overall. The shortstop is batting .294 with a .790 OPS, nine stolen bases, 12 RBI, seven runs scored and nine doubles over 125 plate appearances. He has some catching up to do in the power department -- Witt has hit at least 20 homers in each of his first four years in the majors, but he may need a hot stretch or two to reach that mark in 2026.

Fernandez went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Sunday's win over San Diego.

Fernandez was a pest at the plate, putting Arizona on the board with a solo homer in the sixth inning before the offense awoke and rallied for a come-from-behind victory. It marked his second three-hit performance and eighth multi-hit effort of 2026. The rookie has been a pleasant surprise when called upon, slashing .342/.359/.500 with three homers, 12 RBI, 17 runs and a stolen base in 22 games. With Geraldo Perdomo sitting Sunday, Fernandez started at shortstop, though he has seen action across the infield, and his versatility should help him continue to earn playing time.

Schmitt went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Sunday's 6-3 victory over the Marlins.

Schmitt played a key role in Sunday's win, as his three-run homer in the seventh inning gave the Giants a lead they would not relinquish. It marked his second homer in as many days after also going deep Saturday. The 27-year-old has emerged as one of the most consistent hitters in San Francisco's lineup to open 2026, slashing .296/.348/.543 with four homers, eight doubles, 13 RBI and 10 runs across 22 games.

Honeycutt left Sunday's contest with High-A Frederick early with left thumb discomfort, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Honeycutt finished his day having gone 0-for-1 with a walk and a strikeout, and he is now batting .188 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 12 runs scored and seven stolen bases over 67 at-bats in 18 games at High-A this year. It's unclear what exactly the outfielder's injury is, but he can be considered day-to-day for the time being.

Lee went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run during the Twins' 4-2 loss to the Rays on Sunday.

The Twins were blanked through the first six innings of Sunday's game, but Lee got his team on the board by cracking a two-run homer off Jesse Scholtens in the seventh frame. It was Lee's second homer of the three-game series and his fifth of the 2026 season. Since April 1, he has slashed .269/.337/.487 with one steal, 15 RBI and 11 runs scored over 86 plate appearances.