Elko was removed from the first game of Friday's doubleheader against the Guardians due to right knee soreness.

Elko started at first base and struck out in his lone plate appearance prior to exiting the contest. It's unclear if the 26-year-old will be available for Friday's nightcap, and he should be considered day-to-day until more information is available.

The Pirates optioned Triolo to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.

Triolo had been mired in a 2-for-33 (.061) slump at the plate since June 10, and the Pirates will send him to Indianapolis to potentially rediscover his swing. The move opens up a spot on the active roster for reliever Yohan Ramirez.

The Rays recalled Mead from Triple-A Durham on Friday.

The 24-year-old was optioned to Durham in early July but will rejoin Tampa Bay for the final three games of the first half with Brandon Lowe (oblique) headed to the injured list. Mead has a .225/.320/.342 slash line with three homers and four steals in 128 plate appearances in the big leagues this season, and he's likely to operate as a reserve infielder while up with the Rays.

Contreras went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during Thursday's 8-1 win over the Nationals.

Contreras took Jackson Rutledge deep in the seventh inning for a solo home run, bringing his season total up to 12 round trippers. The outing continued a solid stretch of play at the plate, as Contreras is 12-for-47 (.255) with seven runs scored and a 4:8 BB:K in his last 11 games. He's slashing .254/.343/.430 in 2025.

Kurtz went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and a second run scored in Thursday's 5-4 extra-innings win over Atlanta.

Kurtz tied the game at 4-4 in the eighth inning, answering Ozzie Albies' solo shot from the previous frame. Over the last six games, Kurtz has gone 6-for-21 (.286) with three homers, three doubles and eight RBI. He's up to 15 homers in 55 contests this season, which is all the more impressive considering he didn't hit a long ball over his first 16 big-league games. He's added a .246/.324/.528 slash line, 40 RBI, 29 runs scored, eight doubles and one triple across 222 plate appearances.

Steer went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-0 win over Miami.

Steer crushed his 11th homer of the season and his second of the month of July. Additionally, the 27-year-old first baseman has registered at least one hit in 16 of his last 20 outings. During that span, Steer is hitting a torrid .361 with six long balls, five doubles, 16 RBI and two stolen bases covering 72 at-bats.

Schanuel is out of Thursday's lineup against the Rangers due to calf tightness, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

Schanuel has reportedly been dealing with the discomfort for the last few days, though he has still collected four hits across 12 at-bats in the first three games of the Angels' series against Texas. Assuming he can make it through the weekend unscathed, some extra rest is on the horizon with the All-Star break just a few days out.

Goldschmidt isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mariners.

Goldschmidt will get a chance to rest his legs Thursday after going 6-for-13 with two RBI and four runs scored across his last three games. His absence will give Ben Rice an opportunity to start at first base while batting sixth in the series finale.

The Astros reinstated Walker from the paternity list Thursday.

After spending three games away from the team while celebrating the birth of his child, Walker will rejoin the Astros and slide back in as the club's everyday first baseman. The 34-year-old has had a down year at the plate overall, but he's gone 16-for-43 (.372) with two home runs and eight RBI over his last 10 contests.

Double-A Montgomery placed Isaac on the 7-day injured list July 6 with an undisclosed injury.

This is Isaac's second injured list stint of the year, as he missed the first two weeks of the season with an elbow injury. He also missed almost two weeks in early May with an undisclosed injury but he didn't land on the IL that time. Isaac most recently played June 25 and it seems the elbow injury he suffered in spring training may be affecting his play as well as his availability this season. He's slashing .201/.366/.446 with nine home runs, a 29.7 percent strikeout rate and a 19.4 percent walk rate in 41 games for the Biscuits.