MLB Player News

Downs was optioned to Triple-A Rochester following Sunday's win over the Phillies, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Downs was called up by the Nationals in early August, but he played in just five games over the past few weeks and went 2-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases and three walks. He should see more consistent playing time in the minors, and his demotion signals that Carter Kieboom should remain with the big-league club.

Bichette went 2-for-5 with a triple, a solo home run and two runs scored in Sunday's 10-3 victory over the Reds.

In only his second game since an 18-day stint on the injured list due to patellar tendinitis in his right knee, Bichette proved his health with a triple in the first. He then homered in the fourth as he extended a modest hit streak to eight games. Bichette holds a .320 batting average, which ranks second in the American League, and raised his league-leading hit total to 147.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in Sunday's 6-5 loss against the Red Sox.

Volpe tied the game in the seventh inning with a clutch three-run homer off John Schreiber, his 17th of the year and third in his last nine games. The 22-year-old Volpe's gone 8-for-25 (.320) over his previous seven contests. He's now slashing .217/.293/.398 with 50 RBI, 49 runs scored and 20 steals through 458 plate appearances in his rookie campaign.

Mateo went 2-for-5 with an inside-the-park solo home run, a double and an additional run scored in Sunday's 12-1 win over the Athletics.

It's fitting that Mateo's first homer since April 30 -- snapping a 73-game power drought -- would be a product of his speed, not his power. The shortstop has seen limited opportunities in August, and he's gone just 4-for-23 over his 10 games this month. For the season, he's up to seven homers, 32 RBI, 46 runs scored, 25 stolen bases and 13 doubles through 298 plate appearances. Mateo has started three of the last four games at shortstop, though that's likely a product of the Orioles facing four straight southpaws rather than anything he's done to earn an increased role.

The Giants placed Crawford on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a left forearm strain.

Crawford will be eligible for activation beginning Aug. 29, but given that the injury is to his throwing arm, he could be at risk of missing well beyond the minimum 10 days. The 36-year-old has endured a rough 2023 campaign, slashing .194/.264/.318 with a career-worst 26.7 percent strikeout rate across 270 plate appearances. Casey Schmitt and Johan Camargo will likely be the primary replacements at shortstop while Crawford is on the shelf.

Bichette went 1-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's victory over Cincinnati.

Making his first appearance since July 31, Bichette delivered a run-scoring single that capped off Toronto's three-run rally in the fourth inning. Despite being sidelined for nearly three weeks due to patellar tendinitis in his right knee, the 25-year-old shortstop still leads the American League with 145 hits. As the Blue Jays compete for a wild-card spot, Bichette will undoubtedly play a pivotal role down the stretch.

Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Game 2 of a twin bill against the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

Bogaerts went 0-for-4 in the matinee but bounced back with a fifth-inning solo homer for the Padres' only run in Game 2. The long ball was just his third in 35 games since the All-Star break, though the shortstop has otherwise hit well over that stretch, slashing .292/.338/.401 with seven RBI, 12 runs and four thefts. Bogaerts has belted a modest 13 home runs this season, with four of them coming over his first 12 contests.

Witt went 3-for-5 with one RBI, a run scored and two steals in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Cubs.

Witt reached base in three of his first four trips to the plate, swiping two bags along the way as the Royals tried to keep pace with Chicago's offense. It marked the shortstop's third consecutive multi-hit game and ninth overall in the month of August, during which he's batting .389 with six homers, 19 RBI and seven steals.

Adames went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's victory over the Rangers.

Adames drove home Carlos Santana with a single in the top of the third to put the Brewers up 2-0 and then led off the sixth with a solo homer to extend the lead. The shortstop reached base five times in the contest while tallying four hits for just the second time this season. Adames has now recorded at least three hits in back-to-back games, raising his batting average to .213 in the process.

Baez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Guardians.

Kerry Carpenter got the scoring started with a three-run home run in the first inning, and then Baez provided the deciding run with his eighth long ball of the season in the seventh. It's been a disappointing season for the shortstop, who's sitting with just a .592 OPS. Baez may also finish with his fewest home runs in a full season since he hit one as a 22-year-old back in 2015. Since then, he's had at least 14 home runs every year except for the condensed 2020 campaign, when he recorded eight long balls in 59 games.