MLB Player News

Lopez entered Tuesday's game in the fourth inning as a replacement for the injured Josh Jung (calf), going 2-for-3 with an RBI in a 10-0 win over the White Sox.

Lopez, who's been the primary second baseman during the month of July, entered to play shortstop while Ezequiel Duran shifted to third base. Depending on how Jung responds, Lopez could continue to defend shortstop or move back to second base Wednesday. The Rangers' primary starter at short, Corey Seager (back), is progressing in his rehab but has only hit off a batting tee, which indicates it will be at least another week or so before he returns. Once Seager returns, it's expected that Duran and Lopez will share second base, while also serving in utility roles.

Crochet (lat/shoulder) said Tuesday that he and the Red Sox training staff have no timeline in mind for when he'll be cleared to restart his throwing program, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Initially placed on the injured list April 29 due to left shoulder inflammation, Crochet was cleared to face hitters in a one-inning simulated game May 26 but felt lat tightness a couple days following that workout and has been shut down from throwing baseballs ever since. Crochet was able to do some light throwing with weighted plyometric balls in mid-June, but he paused that activity at the beginning of July after he hadn't progressed as well as the Red Sox hoped. For now, Crochet's main focus will be doing strengthening exercises for his rotator cuff, though he acknowledged that he doesn't know what the training staff needs to see from him before he resumes throwing again. The lack of a clearer target date for Crochet's return at this point in the calendar makes it tough for managers in redraft leagues with limited IL or bench spots to justify holding him.

Duran started at shortstop and went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 10-0 win over the White Sox.

Duran, who's been filling in for injured shortstop Corey Seager (back), shifted to third base mid-game when Josh Jung (calf) was removed in the fourth inning. It sounds like Jung's injury is not serious -- he told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com that he should be good to go Wednesday -- so Duran should move back to shortstop soon. Regardless of which position the versatile Duran plays, he should remain a regular in the middle of the batting order. He's posted a slash line of .268/.323/.433 with 10 home runs, 51 RBI, seven steals and 43 runs over 92 games.

Pena went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Marlins.

Pena led off the bottom of the first with a 405-foot blast off Tyler Phillips to give Houston an early 1-0 lead. It's the eighth homer of the season for Pena, who's now gone deep in back-to-back games. The shortstop has come out of the All-Star break hot, going 5-for-13 in four contests. Overall, Pena is slashing .293/.355/.452 with 40 runs scored, 27 RBI and eight steals across 231 plate appearances this season.

Diaz went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 10-0 win over the White Sox.

Diaz made a second straight start behind the plate and is in line for more work after the Rangers placed Kyle Higashioka (forearm) on the 10-day injured list. The club selected the contract of Austin Wynns from Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding move, but the primary catching job belongs to Diaz, who's been Texas' best hitting catcher since his arrival in early June. The 35-year-old backstop is slashing .269/.275/.410 with two home runs, 11 RBI and eight runs scored over 31 games for the Rangers.

Jensen went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Giants.

Jensen opened the scoring by taking Tyler Mahle deep for a solo shot in the third inning, giving him 14 home runs on the season. The catcher has stayed productive since the All-Star break, going 7-for-21 (.333) with five extra-base hits over his first five games of the second half. Across 94 games this season, Jensen is slashing .242/.309/.436.

Langford went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 10-1 win over the White Sox.

With the Rangers already holding a comfortable lead, Langford added to the rout by taking Tyler Schweitzer deep for a two-run homer in the fifth inning. The blast was his 11th of the season. Since returning from the injured list July 9, Langford has been one of Texas' hottest hitters, batting .324 (12-for-37) with three home runs across nine games.

Nimmo went 4-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 10-0 win over the White Sox.

Nimmo opened the scoring by taking Noah Schultz deep for a two-run homer in his first plate appearance before adding singles in each of his next three to record a season-high four hits. The veteran outfielder has come out of the All-Star break swinging a hot bat, going 7-for-19 (.368) with five RBI over his first five games of the second half. Across 95 games this season, Nimmo is slashing .268/.336/.433 with 10 home runs, 22 doubles, four triples, 39 RBI, 40 runs scored and four stolen bases.

Gonzales recorded his first career save Tuesday against the White Sox, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out two over three scoreless innings.

After Kumar Rocker limited Chicago to one hit across six scoreless innings, Gonzales took over for his first appearance of the season after being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Monday. He allowed at least one baserunner in each inning but was able to finish off the game for the first save of his major-league career after spending most of his time as a starter since debuting in 2014. Gonzales joined the Rangers on a minor-league deal in late June and allowed 16 earned runs over 16.2 innings in three Triple-A starts before his promotion. He isn't expected to see many future save chances.

Schultz (3-7) took the loss Tuesday against the Rangers, allowing five runs on 11 hits while striking out two over 3.2 innings.

Schultz fell behind early after serving up a two-run homer to Brandon Nimmo in the first inning and Jake Burger added an RBI double in the third. The rookie was unable to escape the fourth after surrendering five hits that produced another pair of runs, forcing his exit. Schultz has now allowed a home run in each of his last six starts and owns a 7.24 ERA and 1-5 record during that stretch. He'll carry a 6.04 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 49:29 K:BB into his next scheduled start at home against a difficult Yankees lineup.