MLB Player News

France went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Friday's loss to the Royals.

With George Springer (concussion) on the shelf, France got the start at DH and batted sixth in his Blue Jays debut after being acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline. The 31-year-old could see regular at-bats in the short term, but once Springer is back, France will likely find himself on the bench most days, providing depth at first base behind Vladimir Guerrero and getting some short-side platoon work at DH. Through 391 plate appearances this season, France has a mediocre .249/.317/.353 with six homers and 44 RBI.

Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday against the Red Sox.

Walker got the Astros on the board in the second inning with his 14th home run of the season. After a poor first few months of the season, he hit .318 with three home runs, 18 RBI and 11 runs scored across 22 games in July and has carried his strong form into August.

Guerrero went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Friday's 9-3 loss to the Royals.

Guerrero got the scoring started with a solo home run to left field off Michael Wacha in the first inning. It was Guerrero's 16th home run of the season and fourth over his last 15 games. He has been hot at the plate since the All-Star break, slashing .397/.485/.690 with five doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI in 68 plate appearances.

The Rays placed Aranda on the 10-day injured list Friday due to a fractured left wrist.

Aranda is expected to be sidelined for several weeks after he fractured his left wrist when his hand collided with Giancarlo Stanton while attempting to make a tag. With Aranda on the shelf, Yandy Diaz (forearm) will likely see more reps at first base, which opens the door for Christopher Morel to get more playing time as the designated hitter. Aranda's injury isn't considered season-ending, and he will go for imaging in three weeks, per Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun.

Elko (knee) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday and has gone 3-for-8 with two home runs, one walk, four RBI and three runs through his first two games.

The White Sox placed Elko on the 10-day injured list July 11 due to a right knee sprain, but he looks to be on the cusp of a return. Aside from moving short-side platoon outfielder Austin Slater, the White Sox didn't deal away any position players at the trade deadline, so Elko may not be in store for an everyday role at first base or designated hitter once he's activated.

X-rays on Aranda's wrist came back negative after he exited Thursday's game against the Yankees, but he is still expected to miss several weeks, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Aranda got good news in that he won't be out for the rest of the season, with the team instead aiming for a return in September. He is expected to undergo further imaging Friday, which should provide a clearer timeline for his potential return.

Crim was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Thursday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Crim made his very brief big-league debut in early May but has spent nearly the entire 2025 season with Triple-A Round Rock. He maintained a 119 wRC+ at the level, though he is in his age-28 season. His production could be enough to entice a team to claim him on waivers.

The White Sox acquired Mead and right-handers Duncan Davitt and Ben Peoples from the Rays on Thursday in exchange for right-hander Adrian Houser, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The Rays optioned Mead to Triple-A Durham shortly before the All-Star break, but he should quickly earn a look in the big leagues while he moves over to a last-place White Sox squad that's lacking in infielder talent. The 24-year-old is capable of playing first base, third base and second base and slashed .226/.318/.339 with three home runs and four steals over 132 plate appearances for Tampa Bay prior to his demotion.

The Blue Jays acquired France and Louis Varland from the Twins on Thursday in exchange for Alan Roden and Kendry Rojas, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

France has been more of a part-time lineup presence for the Twins lately, but the organization still found a way to offload him at the deadline. The 31-year-old has a .251/.320/.357 slash line in 101 games this season and isn't likely to have a significant role with the first-place Blue Jays.

Mountcastle (hamstring) has gone 8-for-19 (.421) with two home runs, three doubles and six RBI over five games during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk.

After spending two months on the shelf due to a right hamstring strain, Mountcastle appears to be on the verge of being activated from the injured list. The 28-year-old slugger is expected to spend the weekend in the minor leagues to wrap up his assignment, and the Orioles are likely to reinstate him ahead of Monday's series opener in Philadelphia if all goes well. Mountcastle should return to his role as Baltimore's primary first baseman upon his return, which would shift Ryan O'Hearn back into the outfield, and it remains to be seen how much playing time Coby Mayo will see down the stretch. That outlook could change depending on what the Orioles do ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, however.