MLB Player News

Gurriel was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with neck stiffness, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Gurriel missed the previous three games with the stiff neck, and now the club has determined the issue is severe enough to place the first baseman on the IL. The move is retroactive to Tuesday, so Gurriel will be eligible for activation Aug. 13 against the Angels, though it's not yet known if he could require additional time to recover. Jacob Wilson and Taylor Jones were recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land, with Robel Garcia being sent down in corresponding roster moves.

Torkelson's last 23 games in Double-A have seen him go 16-for-75 (.213) with four homers, 13 RBI, 13 runs and a 17:24 BB:K.

Even in the midst of this slump, which has driven his batting average for Erie down to .241, Torkelson's pop and plate discipline have been readily apparent, which is why he still has a .369 OBP and .511 slugging percentage. It's likely that the 2020 draft's No. 1 pick has just been getting unlucky, as he owns a .250 BABIP in Double-A play. He remains one of the game's top prospects, but that subpar batting average may offer an intriguing buy-low opportunity in dynasty formats.

Abreu went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Royals.

Abreu was the only player to get an extra-base hit off Daniel Lynch, homering in the first inning. In addition, he added a single in the sixth frame. It is the third time he has homered in back-to-back games this season. The 34-year-old is slashing .245/.333/.461 with 20 homers, 82 RBI and 53 runs scored in 435 plate appearances. His 82 RBI are tied for second-most in all of baseball.

Gurriel (neck) is out of the lineup Thursday against the Twins, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Gurriel was scratched from Tuesday's starting nine with neck stiffness and has yet to rejoin the lineup. The 37-year-old should continue to be considered day-to-day until the team updates his status. Martin Maldonado will receive a rare start at first base Thursday while Jason Castro works behind the plate.

O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the White Sox.

As per usual, the lefty-hitting O'Hearn will retreat to the bench with a southpaw (Dallas Keuchel) on the mound for the opposition. Emmanuel Rivera will pick up a spot start in O'Hearn's stead, occupying third base while Hunter Dozier moves to right field.

Gittens (ankle) was spotted performing fielding drills at first base Thursday, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The workout marks the first known baseball activity Gittens has performed on the field since he was placed on the 10-day injured list July 25 with a sprained left ankle. Gittens is without a clear timeline for a return, but once activated, he'll most likely be optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees acquired Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs last week to take over as their everyday first baseman, while the player Gittens had been replacing, Luke Voit (knee), is on the track to beat him back from the IL.

Vaughn started in left field and went 2-for-2 with a walk in Wednesday's 9-1 loss to the Royals.

Vaughn has been playing left field while Eloy Jimenez, who returned from a groin injury Tuesday, works his way back from the injury. This was the 20th multi-hit game this season for Vaughn, who is slashing .343/.389/.588 with six home runs, 16 RBI and 18 runs scored over the last 30 contests.

O'Hearn went 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk and three RBI in a victory over the White Sox on Wednesday.

Serving as the Royals' designated hitter, O'Hearn drove in the first run of the game with a sac fly in the first inning. He then went deep to center field in the seventh to extend the team's lead to 8-1. The three RBI tied a season high for the 28-year-old. He is hitting .226 on the season while carrying a problematic 32.9 percent strikeout rate over 155 at-bats.

Abreu went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Royals.

The White Sox fell into an early 6-0 deficit behind starter Lucas Giolito before Abreu provided a small glimmer of hope with a fourth-inning solo shot to center field. The long ball was his first since he went deep in back-to-back games July 19 and 20. Since that time, Abreu is slashing just .122/.280/.195 with one extra-base hit and 11 strikeouts over 12 games.

Mountcastle went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a sacrifice fly in Wednesday's 10-3 loss to the Yankees.

The 24-year-old accounted for two of Baltimore's three runs in the contest. Mountcastle has hit safely in seven straight games, going 13-for-28 (.464) in that span. He's lifted his slash line to .262/.307/.475 with 19 homers, 62 RBI, 49 runs scored and four stolen bases through 398 plate appearances while hitting in the heart of Baltimore's order.