MLB Player News

The Cubs expect to reinstate Swanson (knee) from the injured list Tuesday, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Swanson took live batting practice Friday for the first time since landing on the injured list May 10 with a right knee injury, and he appears to be trending toward a return shortly after the minimum 10 days. He will reclaim his role as Chicago's everyday shortstop once he returns, though the 30-year-old infielder had gone just 1-for-18 with a solo home run in his last six games prior to landing on the IL.

Neto went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in a 9-3 win against the Rangers on Friday.

Neto broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning with a 405-foot, two-run blast to left field. The shortstop has homered in consecutive contests after going deep just once through his first 13 games in May. Neto is enjoying a strong month overall, slashing .308/.345/.519 with three homers, five RBI, seven runs and two stolen bases over 15 contests.

Cruz isn't in the Pirates' lineup for Saturday's game versus the Cubs.

Left-hander Shota Imanaga will start on the mound Saturday for Chicago, meaning the lefty-hitting Cruz will step out of the lineup. Alika Williams will fill the opening at shortstop while batting ninth.

Betts went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two total runs scored in Friday's 7-3 win over the Reds.

Betts' last two homers have been of the leadoff variety, and they're his only two long balls in May. He's hitting .283 this month, dropping his season-long batting average to a still-stunning .341 through 47 contests. Betts has added eight homers, 29 RBI, 40 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 11 doubles and three triples over 218 plate appearances while serving as the everyday leadoff hitter.

Winn went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 10-6 win over the Red Sox.

Winn has done a lot of things right this season, but he didn't have a homer until he took Boston reliever Cam Booser deep in the sixth inning. The shortstop has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 11-for-34 (.324) in that span. Winn is up to a .280/.343/.384 slash line with 10 RBI, 12 runs scored, seven stolen bases, six doubles and three triples through 142 plate appearances in an everyday role.

Baez went 3-for-4 with two doubles, five RBI and a run scored in Friday's 13-0 win over the Diamondbacks.

Baez was given a vote of confidence from manager A.J. Hinch earlier this week, and he made good on it with his best game of the season. This was the shortstop's third multi-hit effort this season and the first time he's driven in multiple runs. Baez is still slashing a paltry .185/.216/.254 with one home run, 18 RBI, nine runs scored, six doubles and six stolen bases over 38 contests. He's set to remain the starting shortstop for the foreseeable future, as the Tigers have no obvious candidates to push him for playing time.

Moore went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run in a loss to the Orioles on Friday.

Moore's penchant for hard contact was on display once again, and 12 of his 23 hits this season have gone for extra bases. The veteran utility man has reached safely in five of his last seven contests, and he's generated three multi-hit efforts in the last nine games.

Henderson went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an RBI triple and a second run scored in Friday's 9-2 win over the Mariners.

Henderson led off the game with a solo shot off Bryce Miller, his 13th homer of the year, before driving in a second run with an opposite-field triple in the seventh inning. While Henderson's gotten off to a great start this year, he'd been slumping a bit coming into Friday's contest, going 0-for-11 in his prior three games. Overall, the 22-year-old shortstop is slashing .263/.339/.569 with 29 RBI, 32 runs scored and six steals across 189 plate appearances this season.

Luciano is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in Friday's game against the Rockies, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Luciano made his 2024 debut Tuesday against the Dodgers when he pinch hit for Mike Yastrzemski in the ninth inning. Luciano started the season with Triple-A Sacramento, posting a .266/.399/.344 slash line with one home run and 20 RBI over 158 plate appearances before being recalled by the Giants on May 14. The 22-year-old appeared in 14 games for San Francisco in 2023, going 9-for-39 with three doubles and a stolen base across 14 games.

The Giants optioned Schmitt to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Schmitt will lose his spot on the big-league roster with Jorge Soler (shoulder) returning from the injured list Friday. Schmitt went just 3-for-22 and drove in one RBI during his brief stint in the majors, though he may return to San Francisco if the Giants need to rely on their organizational infield depth again later this season.