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Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Monday that he has no plans to bench Baez, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Advice: "He's going to play, a lot," Hinch said. Baez has again been one of the least productive regulars from an offensive standpoint in baseball, slashing just .167/.200/.222 with one home run over 135 plate appearances. He's hit only .223/.265/.346 since signing a six-year, $140 million contract prior to the 2022 campaign. Baez also has graded out poorly defensively in 2024 with minus-4 Outs Above Average, although he was plus-9 in OAA in 2023 and the Tigers still seem happy with his defense. Given that the underwhelming Zach McKinstry would represent their likely alternative at shortstop, the Tigers appear willing to continue riding it out with Baez in hopes that he can rebound to at least a competent level at the plate. Rotowire.com Today, 7:32 am

De La Cruz went 4-for-4 with a double, an RBI, three runs scored and four stolen bases in Thursday's win over the Dodgers while also drawing a walk.

Advice: De La Cruz was a force to be reckoned with, reaching base five times and swiping at least one bag following each of his first three plate appearances. Those steals would lead to him scoring three runs, marking the third time this season he's accomplished that feat. It was also the star shortstop's first four-hit game on the campaign and his third game with three or more hits. De La Cruz has a whopping 30 stolen bases on the season following his first four-steal performance, sitting 13 ahead of the next closest player, Tampa Bay's Jose Caballero. Rotowire.com Today, 6:50 am

Elly De La Cruz went 4-for-4 with four stolen bases on Thursday, leading the Reds to a 7-2 victory over the Dodgers.

Advice: De La Cruz might break the century mark in the stolen base department, if he sustains this surreal pace. He was thrown out attempting a fifth steal in the seventh inning of Thursday’s showdown at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old burgeoning fantasy superstar is still striking out 30 percent of the time, but some improved plate discipline has enabled him to reach base more frequently this season and show off his field-tilting speed. He’s batting .277/.378/.516 with 35 runs scored, nine homers, 22 RBI and 30 steals following the first four-steal performance of his career out in Los Angeles. There’s still some room for improvement, but De La Cruz is rapidly evolving into one of the premier five-category impact contributors in the entire fantasy landscape. Rotoworld Today, 3:11 am

J.P. Crawford (hand, oblique) didn’t travel with the Mariners for Friday’s series opener against the Orioles.

Advice: Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times adds that the Mariners aren’t certain when Crawford will return as he’s dealing with soreness and swelling in his right hand after being hit by a pitch during Wednesday’s rehab contest for Triple-A Tacoma. The 29-year-old shortstop will presumably undergo additional testing and imaging to determine the extent of the injury. There should be an update on his status at some point in the next few days. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:43 pm

Orioles 2B/SS prospect Jackson Holliday went 2-for-5 with a solo homer and two RBI on Thursday for Triple-A Norfolk.

Advice: Holliday has made some subtle tweaks to his batting stance since returning to the minors and is batting .240/.424/.420 with two homers and two steals in 14 contests since the start of May for Triple-A Norfolk. More impressively, he’s drawn 16 walks and only struck out 15 times during that span. The precocious 20-year-old top prospect is going to get another chance in the majors at some point, but it doesn’t sound like the Orioles are going to rush him back. It’s extremely encouraging that he’s making adjustments and showing improvement right now. Rotoworld Yesterday, 4:56 pm