MLB Player News

Gimenez went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Sunday's 1-0 win over the Astros.

Offense was at a premium in this contest, though the Guardians found more of it than the Astros. Gimenez singled and stole second in the eighth inning with Cleveland looking to pad its lead, but he was left aboard when Owen Miller flied out to end the frame. The steal was Gimenez's first since he ran wild for three steals versus Arizona last Monday. For the season, the second baseman is slashing .299/.364/.481 with 12 home runs, 12 steals, 50 RBI and 42 runs scored through 98 contests.

Massey went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, three runs scored and a walk in Sunday's 13-5 win over the Red Sox.

The bottom third of the Royals' lineup combined to go 6-for-9 with nine runs scored and two walks. Massey's biggest contribution was a two-run single to spark the Royals' six-run rally in the eighth inning that turned the game into a laugher. The double was his first extra-base hit in the majors, and he's slashing .348/.375/.391 with a stolen base through his first 24 plate appearances.

Arraez went 3-for-5 with one double and one RBI in Sunday's 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays.

For the second time in as many days, Arraez notched three hits, increasing his average to an AL-leading .329 clip. While his performance this season has been admirable, it may be time to sell high as he has overperformed his xSLG and xwOBA dispite hitting just six home runs, and he is drastically overperforming his xBA of .285.

Mayfield (undisclosed) was placed on the minor-league 7-day injured list Wednesday.

It's not certain what prompted the IL move, though it should be noted that the journeyman infielder hasn't played since July 28. Mayfield had put together a modest five-game hitting streak with Triple-A Salt Lake prior to being placed on the injured list. He's slashed .186/.230/.271 with a home run, six RBI and a stolen base in 74 plate appearances in the majors this season.

Andrus is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.

Nick Allen will move over from the keystone to step in at shortstop in place of Andrus. With a .777 OPS since the beginning of July, Andrus has been one of the Athletics' more productive hitters over the past month and change, so the 33-year-old should continue to see the majority of the starts at shortstop even though he doesn't necessarily fit into Oakland's rebuilding effort.

Merrifield is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Merrifield has seen each of his first three starts with the Blue Jays in center field, and he should serve as the team's primary option at the position for at least the next week after George Springer (elbow) went on the injured list Saturday. However, Raimel Tapia will get the nod in center field Sunday in place of Merrifield, who has gotten off to a 5-for-13 start to his Blue Jays career while adding two runs, one RBI and one stolen base.

Haggerty went 2-for-3 with a double during a loss to the Angels in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday.

Haggerty has started three of four games since returning from a self-inflicted cut on his forehead caused by a bouncing batting helmet against the Astros on July 30. The 28-year-old has now laced 10 of his 25 hits on the season for extra bases, helping lead to a stellar .512 slugging percentage that's easily the highest of his career.

Polanco will start at second base and bat second in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

With Carlos Correa getting a rare day off, Polanco will move into the No. 2 spot in the lineup for the first time since July 6, which was the last time Correa received a breather. Though Polanco has demonstrated excellent plate discipline since the All-Star break (11 walks against nine strikeouts in 13 games), it hasn't translated into much useful fantasy production (.196 average, zero home runs, zero stolen bases, six runs and three RBI).

Lopez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

The lefty-hitting Lopez gets most of his days off against left-handed pitching, but he'll cede his spot in the infield to Michael Massey while right-hander Kutter Crawford takes the hill for Boston. Lopez had started each of the Royals' last six games while going 5-for-17 with four walks, four stolen bases and four runs.

The White Sox recalled Sosa from Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.

Reliever Tanner Banks was optioned to the minors to make room on the 26-man active roster for Sosa, who may serve as a utility man for the White Sox if manager Tony LaRussa isn't yet ready to pull the plug on second baseman Josh Harrison or third baseman Yoan Moncada as everyday players. LaRussa could soon be able to find room in the lineup for all three players on a short-term basis, as Sosa may be a candidate to pick up starts at shortstop if Tim Anderson's appeal of a three-game suspension isn't overturned in the near future. The 22-year-old Sosa, who was briefly up with the big club for a brief period in late June, seemingly has little left to prove in the minors after slashing .316/.367/.511 in 85 games between stops at Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham.