MLB Player News

Walls is not in the lineup against the Rangers on Thursday.

Walls started the Rays' previous six games, during which he went 7-for-20 with two RBI and two stolen bases. He's getting a breather Thursday while Jorge Mateo starts at shortstop and bats seventh.

Pratt is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Cubs.

Pratt manned shortstop in the first three games of the series, but he'll take a seat in the finale. Joey Ortiz will fill in at shortstop for the Brewers, while David Hamilton will cover third base.

Story isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Orioles, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Story will get a chance to catch his breath Thursday after going 7-for-16 with four RBI and a run scored while starting all four of Boston's games since his return from the IL on Sunday. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will fill in at shortstop and bat ninth.

Volpe was lifted from a game at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday with a right forearm contusion, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Volpe initially remained in the contest after being hit by a pitch before eventually being removed. It's unclear whether Volpe required X-rays, but either way it seems he's avoided a serious injury. Volpe has performed well since being demoted in early August, slashing .276/.376/.632 with eight home runs over 23 contests. He's seen action at second and third base in addition to shortstop during that stretch.

The Pirates are expected to activate Griffin (finger) from the 60-day injured list Friday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Griffin has rejoined the Pirates in Pittsburgh after going 3-for-11 in three rehab games, and he will return to the active roster Friday on the first day he's eligible. The rookie shortstop has been sidelined for the past two months with a torn sagittal band on his left ring finger. With Griffin taking back over at shortstop this weekend, Jacob Gonzalez could be mixed in some at third base down the stretch for the Pirates.

Duran batted leadoff and went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 9-2 loss to the Athletics.

Duran gave the Rangers an early lead when he took Jacob Lopez deep on the third pitch he saw in the bottom of the first inning. It was the 16th home run of the season for Duran, who has found his swing again. Following a two-week run at the beginning of August in which he batted .128 (6-for-47), Duran's posted a .404 average (19-for-47) with three doubles, one triple, three home runs and 11 RBI over the subsequent 13 games. He's now at a career-high 507 plate appearances with a career-high .791 OPS.

Crawford went 3-for-3 with two run scored in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Red Sox.

Crawford has now gone 6-for-8 in his last three contests after going just 2-for-16 in his first five games following a month-long stint on the IL. With Colt Emerson (wrist) out for the year, Crawford should remain Seattle's everyday shortstop down the stretch. The veteran is slashing .221/.338/.347 with 10 homers, 31 RBI, 42 runs scored and one steal across 394 plate appearances this season.

Betts went 2-for-6 with a two-run home run and a double in Wednesday's 8-6 extra-inning loss to the Cardinals.

Betts' hitting streak is up to nine games, and this was his third multi-hit effort in that span. The shortstop has gone 12-for-38 (.316) during the streak, though this was his first homer since Aug. 19 in Colorado. On the year, he's batting .244 with a .724 OPS, 17 homers, 53 RBI, 53 runs scored, 19 doubles and one stolen base over 102 games.

Peck went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 11-6, extra-innings win over the Twins.

Peck delivered a double in the second inning, which was his first major-league hit and plated his first two runs. The 24-year-old just got called up from Triple-A Toledo on Monday, and it appears that he's going to get a long look at shortstop, with fellow rookies Kevin McGonigle and Hao-Yu Lee settling in at third base and second base, respectively. Peck could help secure himself a regular role with the Tigers in 2027 if he finishes this year with a flourish.

Lombard (knee) is not in the Yankees' starting lineup against the Angels on Wednesday.

Lombard will be out of the Yankees' lineup for a fourth consecutive game while recovering from right knee inflammation. He has been cleared to run and do light work on the field, and with the Yankees off Thursday, Lombard could be back in action for Friday's series opener against the Padres. Jose Caballero will start at shortstop and bat seventh in Lombard's absence Wednesday.