MLB Player News

Crawford went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk, one RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 14-4 win over the Pirates.

Crawford's produced just three multi-hit efforts in 31 contests, and this was his first since his return from a calf injury. The shortstop has increasingly found himself on the bench -- he sat out three games in a row, all against right-handers, from May 25-27. The lefty hitter should have a clearer path to playing time while Thairo Estrada (wrist) is on the injured list, as it opens up the opportunity for rookie Casey Schmitt to start at second base. A drop in playing time for Crawford is justified, as he's still slashing a paltry .202/.288/.364 with four home runs, 13 RBI, nine runs scored, three stolen bases and four doubles this year even after Monday's big game.

Schmitt (ankle) went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 14-4 win over the Pirates.

Schmitt was given Sunday off to recover from a minor ankle issue. He returned to the lineup with his third multi-hit effort in his last five games, and the second three-hit game of his young career. Monday gave fans and fantasy managers a glimpse to what the Giants' infield sans Thairo Estrada (wrist) may look like versus southpaws, with Schmitt at second base, J.D. Davis at third and Brandon Crawford at shortstop, while Brett Wisely hit the bench. Schmitt may see more time at the keystone in the near term if Crawford resumes a starting role at shortstop. Schmitt is slashing .342/.351/.500 with two home runs, two stolen bases, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored through his first 20 major-league contests.

Franco went 1-for-4 with a stolen base Monday in a loss to the Cubs.

Franco notched Tampa Bay's only hit of the game, breaking up Marcus Stroman's no-hitter in the seventh inning with a leadoff single. The speedy shortstop proceeded to steal second base but didn't advance any further. Franco extended his hitting streak to six games with the base knock, and he's swiped five bags over that span. He ranks third in the majors with 19 thefts on the campaign.

Volpe is not in the lineup Monday versus the Mariners, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

It's a rare day off for Volpe, who has now started 52 of a possible 56 games this season. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will handle shortstop Monday.

Witt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and one steal in Monday's 7-0 win over the Cardinals.

Witt stole his 16th bag of the season and hit his 10th home run of the year. The only other players with double figures in each of those categories already are Ronald Acuna and Josh Lowe. Witt hit 20 long balls and stole 30 bags as a rookie last year, and the 22-year-old is on pace to shatter both of those marks in 2023, barring he stays healthy.

Seager went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and an additional RBI in Monday's 5-0 victory over Detroit.

Seager missed over a month on the injured list due to a hamstring injury, and since going 0-for-3 in his return, the shortstop has collected 14 hits (eight for extra bases), 18 RBI and eight runs over his past 10 appearances. The 2012 first-round pick signed a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Rangers following the 2021 campaign and went on to hit a career-high 33 homers in his first season with Texas. He already has five long balls through 22 appearances in 2023, but Seager's shown more diversity at the plate this year, slashing .333/.398/.607 across 84 plate appearances.

Allen is out of the lineup for Monday's game against Atlanta.

After starting each of the past four games and going 2-for-12, Allen's season-long batting average now sits at .200 for the season. Since he isn't hitting for much power and owns a weak 6.6 percent walk rate, Allen could be starting to lose some security as the Athletics' top shortstop. Oakland will turn to Aledmys Diaz as their starting shortstop and cleanup hitter Monday with the hope that he can offer more production from the position.

Schmitt (ankle) will start at second base and bat fifth Monday against the Pirates.

Schmitt sat out Sunday's loss to the Brewers after tweaking his ankle a day earlier, but he's feeling well enough to give it a go for the start of San Francisco's homestand. The rookie made his last three starts at shortstop, but he'll give way to Brandon Crawford on Monday while moving back to the keystone.

Amaya has hit safely in five straight games for Triple-A Jacksonville, going 11-for-20 (.550) with a double, four home runs and 12 RBI.

The 24-year-old shortstop missed about a week of action after getting hit by a pitch May 16, but since returning to the Jumbo Shrimp lineup, Amaya has been on a tear. He's now slashing .297/.367/.494 on the season, a sharp contrast to the .587 OPS that Miami shortstops have produced this season -- the second-worst mark in MLB, ahead of only the .573 OPS generated by Oakland shortstops. While he's not viewed as a top prospect, Amaya's big-league debut seems like it should be coming sooner rather than later.

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

With southpaw Matthew Boyd on the bump for Detroit, Smith and fellow lefty hitter Travis Jankowski will both head to the bench while the righty-hitting Bubba Thompson picks up a start in left field. While Ezequiel Duran (oblique) is on the shelf, Smith and Jankowski will likely be jockeying for one spot in Texas' everyday lineup versus right-handed pitching.