MLB Player News

Cruz was removed from Wednesday's game in Boston due to an apparent left eye injury, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Cruz had an awkward collision with Rafael Devers near the third base bag in the top of the seventh inning and was replaced before the bottom of the seventh. A trainer appeared to be looking at his left eye. He finished the day 1-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout.

Anderson was ejected from Wednesday's game against the Giants for arguing with the home plate umpire.

Anderson felt like he got quick-pitched by Logan Webb as he attempted to call time on what was ultimately a strikeout in the bottom of the third inning. He finished the day 0-for-2. Elvis Andrus slid over to shortstop in the top of the fourth, with Hanser Alberto entering the game at second base.

Diaz will take a seat Wednesday versus the Guardians.

Diaz will get a breather after starting the first five games of season, going 3-for-19 with an RBI and a run scored over those contests. Nick Allen will draw the start at shortstop and bat eighth in Wednesday's series finale with Cleveland.

Smith (face) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

The Rangers have an off day Thursday, so Smith will effectively get at least two more days to heal up from a swollen jaw as well as the six stitches he required on his face after being hit by a pitch in Monday's 2-0 loss to the Orioles. Ezequiel Duran will spell Smith in left field for the second game in a row.

Baez is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Astros.

Baez will take a seat after starting the Tigers' first five games of the year, going 2-for-20 with one RBI and one run scored while striking out five times. The 30-year-old saw his strikeout percentage drop from 33.7 percent in 2021 to 24.9 percent in 2022 and it appears that his discipline at the plate is closer to his 2022 form early this season. Ryan Kreidler will take over at shortstop and bat ninth Wednesday versus Houston.

Berti is expected to see the majority of the playing time at shortstop while Joey Wendle (ribs) is on the injured list, David Wilson of the Miami Herald reports.

Berti is a poor fit defensively at shortstop, but the veteran utility player is still viewed as the superior option to Garrett Hampson. The Marlins also have Jose Iglesias at Triple-A, but he's not on the 40-man roster and the organization may not have an easy way to create a spot for him at the moment. Berti has had a quiet start to the year, going 3-for-15 (.200) through five games without a stolen base, but his wheels should start making an impact with consistent playing time.

Arcia went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Cardinals.

He took Steven Matz deep in the second inning, giving Arcia his first homer of the season. The veteran shortstop has made Atlanta look good for naming him the starter over prospects Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake, playing impressive defense while batting .316 (6-for-19) with five runs scored through the first five games of the year.

Cruz went 0-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox.

His modest four-game hit streak to begin the season came to an end, but Cruz made up for it with his first steal of 2023. The 24-year-old comes into the season with sky-high expectations after slugging 17 homers and stealing 10 bases in 87 big-league games last year, and while he's batting only .263 (5-for-19) with one home run and one stolen base through five games, his 3:4 BB:K is highly encouraging. If Cruz's plate discipline takes a big step forward, a massive fantasy campaign is likely to follow.

Perdomo went 1-for-1 with a walk, was hit by a pitch, stole a base, knocked in three runs and scored three runs in Tuesday's 8-6 win over San Diego.

Arizona's offense came to life over the final four innings, including a four-run eighth in which Perdomo figured prominently. His drag bunt produced the game-tying run -- his team-leading fourth RBI -- and he reached base when first baseman Matt Carpenter mishandled the ball. Perdomo then stole second base and eventually scored on a Jose Herrera single. The Diamondbacks were aggressive on the basepaths, taking extra bases and stealing five bags (attempting six), and produced eight runs on nine hits (two for extra bases) and seven walks. After an offensively sluggish five games, Tuesday's explosion may be a preview of what's to come in Arizona this summer. Perdomo is currently sharing the shortstop position with Nick Ahmed.

Turner went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Yankees.

After singling to left field in the seventh inning, Turner swiped his first bag of the year in close fashion -- the throw from Kyle Higashioka beat him, but his slide jostled the ball out of Anthony Volpe's glove. Turner has had a blistering start to the season at the plate, batting .391 (9-for-23) through five games with a double and two triples, and after stealing 27 bases on 30 attempts in 2022, MLB's rule changes to boost the running game could allow the 29-year-old shortstop to challenge his career high of 46 steals, set back in 2017 with the Nationals.