• Five innings on defense Tuesday
    Diaz (calf) started at third base and played five innings in Triple-A Las Vegas' win over El Paso on Tuesday, going 1-for-3 with an RBI single.

    Advice: Diaz picked up the first hit of his three-game rehab stint on his final at-bat of the evening, and he took another step in the right direction by logging five frames on defense for the second straight game. The veteran is likely to continue taking a day off between appearances for the moment as his ramp-up following a long layoff continues. Rotowire.com 6 minutes ago
    Aledmys DíazOAK - 1B,2B,3B,SS,OF
    5:10 pm @HOU
     
  • Eyeing weekend return
    Mariners manager Scott Servais said Crawford (oblique) will play another rehab game for Triple-A Tacoma before likely returning from the 10-day injured list ahead of this weekend's series in Baltimore, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

    Advice: Crawford, who has been on the shelf since April 25 with a Grade 1 right oblique strain, kicked off his rehab assignment Tuesday, going 1-for-4 in Tacoma's 8-5 win over Salt Lake while playing seven innings at shortstop. Assuming Crawford feels fine physically coming out of his second rehab outing, he should be ready to rejoin the big club this weekend and settle back in as the team's everyday shortstop. Dylan Moore will shift back into a utility role once Crawford is back with the team. Rotowire.com 13 minutes ago
    J.P. CrawfordSEA - SS
    1:10 pm vs KC
     
  • Not in Wednesday's lineup
    Merrill is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Rockies.

    Advice: The Rockies are sending southpaw Austin Gomber to the hill, so Padres manager Mike Shildt decided it would be a good day to give the left-handed-hitting Merrill a breather. Jose Azocar will patrol center field Wednesday. Rotowire.com Today, 10:24 am
     
  • Elly De La Cruz sits for first time this season
    Elly De La Cruz is absent from the Reds lineup Wednesday for the first time this season.

    Advice: No word of any injury, and we’re going to assume this was a planned day off. Spencer Steer got one yesterday, and he also had been in the lineup every game this season. The Reds have Santiago Espinal at shortstop today. Rotoworld Today, 10:20 am
     
  • CJ Abrams sits against tough lefty
    Like the rest of the Nationals’ lefty hitters, CJ Abrams is on the bench for Wednesday’s game against Garrett Crochet and the White Sox.

    Advice: It makes for a weird lineup, as Ildemaro Vargas is playing left field and batting third and Rule 5 pick Nasim Nuñez is making just his second start of the year. It’s the first time Abrams has sat since Apr. 8, when he was dealing with hand soreness. Rotoworld Today, 10:16 am
     
  • Receives first day off
    De La Cruz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Arizona.

    Advice: For the first time all season, De La Cruz will exit the starting nine for what looks to be a routine maintenance day before the Reds continue their road trip Thursday in Los Angeles. Santiago Espinal will step in at shortstop in place of De La Cruz, who has slowed down a bit at the plate of late with two hits and six strikeouts in 14 at-bats over his last three games. Rotowire.com Today, 10:14 am
     
  • Records steal in win
    Freeman went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, two hit-by-pitches, a stolen base and one run scored in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Rangers.

    Advice: That's a hard way to get on base four times, but it worked well to set the table for the Guardians. Freeman is still not hitting all that well -- he's batting .167 over 12 games in May, dropping his season average to .193 through 37 contests. He's made up for it with a passable .307 on-base percentage and 9.2 percent walk rate. The 24-year-old has added five steals, four home runs, 13 RBI, 21 runs scored and six doubles through 141 plate appearances. Manager Stephen Vogt is still trying to figure out who will fit best at leadoff while Steven Kwan (hamstring) is out, and Freeman is in the mix, having hit atop the order in each of the last three games. Rotowire.com Today, 10:03 am
    Tyler FreemanCLE - 2B,3B,SS,OF
    5:05 pm @TEX
     
  • Rare day off Wednesday
    Garcia is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

    Advice: Garcia's only other day off this season came in the second game of a doubleheader. He will give way to Adam Frazier on Wednesday, both at third base and in the leadoff spot. Rotowire.com Today, 9:47 am
     
  • Swipes another bag
    Merrill went 1-for-4 with a run and a stolen base in Tuesday's loss to the Rockies.

    Advice: Merrill struck out in his first two at-bats before reaching on a fielder's choice in the seventh inning and coming around to score soon thereafter. He added a single and stolen base in the eighth but was left stranded. Merrill has notched three thefts over his past three games and ranks second on San Diego with seven steals on the season. Rotowire.com Today, 9:41 am