MLB Player News

Murakami was removed from Friday's game against the Tigers with right hamstring tightness.

Murakami got hurt while running to first base to try to beat out a double play. He's slated to undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of his injury, after which more will be known about how much time, if any, he'll have to miss.

Polanco (Achilles) will play two more rehab games and could be activated from the 10-day injured list some time next week on the Mets' road trip, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.

Polanco has played one rehab game with Double-A Binghamton to this point, going 1-for-2 with a single and a strikeout. He's been out since mid-April with a right wrist contusion and left Achilles bursitis, and it's the latter injury that's lengthened his recovery. When he does return from the IL, Polanco will be used primarily at designated hitter.

Ortiz has hit safely in seven straight games for Triple-A Rochester, batting .333 (10-for-30) with seven home runs and 20 RBI during that stretch.

The 24-year-old first baseman is decimating the International League to close out May as he turns things around following a sluggish start to the season. At the end of April, Ortiz carried a .231/.375/.352 slash line with just one homer in 27 games. If he keeps swinging a hot bat, he could slug his way into the Nationals' 1B/DH picture over the summer.

Morel could be released if he doesn't begin hitting soon, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Signed to a modest one-year contract this offseason and asked to transition from the outfield to first base, Morel had his campaign put on pause by an Opening Day oblique strain, but the 26-year-old has contributed very little since coming off the IL in late April. Over 63 plate appearances this season, Morel is slashing .169/.222/.220 with zero homers and a 3:23 BB:K. Clearing him off the roster would potentially open up a spot for top prospect Kemp Alderman (wrist), who has been getting work at first base at Triple-A Jacksonville -- although it was a collision at first base while playing defense that led to his current wrist injury. In the meantime, Connor Norby and Liam Hicks will be the primary options at 1B for Miami while Morel tries to find his swing.

Walker isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rangers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Walker will take a seat on the bench to begin Thursday's series finale after going 1-for-12 with a three-run homer and an additional run scored over the first three games of the series. His absence will cause Isaac Paredes to shift to first base, giving Braden Shewmake a start at third and Brice Matthews a start at second.

Rice went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBI in a 7-0 win against the Royals on Wednesday.

Rice opened the scoring with an RBI triple -- his first three-bagger of the season -- in the fourth inning. The slugger added a two-run single in the seventh. With his three RBI, Rice pushed his total to 37 on the campaign, tied for fifth most in the AL. He's added 16 homers, 11 doubles, 40 runs, two steals and an excellent .290/.383/.623 slash line.

An MRI on Schanuel's left ankle revealed tendinitis, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Schanuel's ankle has been bothering him off and on since early April, but it flared up on him recently, leading to a trip to the 10-day injured list. The first baseman isn't sure at this point how long he might be sidelined, but it appears likely to be longer than a minimum absence. Vaughn Grissom is filling in at first base for the Angels while Schanuel recovers.

The Dodgers recalled Ward from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, reports Fabrian Ardaya of The Athletic

Ward will come back up to the major leagues after a brief stint with the big-league club in April. As Teoscar Hernandez heads to the injured list, Ward will replace him on the active roster. The 28-year-old recorded two hits in his first six MLB plate appearances while he was last with the Dodgers last month.

Freeman went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Rockies.

Freeman picked up his fourth multi-hit effort over the last eight games, a span in which he's added three homers, four doubles and six RBI. The first baseman's blast in the first inning ended up being the decisive run in the game. Freeman is now batting .271 with an .830 OPS, seven long balls, 26 RBI, 27 runs scored, 15 doubles, one triple and two stolen bases over 53 contests this season.

Clemens went 1-for-3 with a solo home run during Wednesday's Twins' 15-2 loss against the White Sox.

Clemens smoked a home run to right field off of Brandon Eisert in the eighth inning of the blowout for his fifth long ball of the season. The first baseman made his second career start in center field but isn't likely to gain positional eligibility anytime soon with Byron Buxton, who served as the DH on Wednesday, staying mostly healthy so far this year. The 30-year-old Clemens boosted his slash line to .233/.317/.418 with five steals, five home runs, 15 RBI and 18 runs scored across 166 plate appearances this season.