MLB Player News

McNeil went 3-for-5 in Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Royals.

McNeil hit leadoff for the second game in a row with Brandon Nimmo (quadriceps) sidelined again. Since the start of July, McNeil is batting just .247 (24-for-97) over 25 contests, slightly lower than his .256 mark for the season. The second baseman has added a paltry .661 OPS with three home runs, 34 RBI, 46 runs scored and five stolen bases across 106 games.

Kim went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's 11-1 victory over the Rockies.

Kim led off Wednesday's contest with a solo homer off Kyle Freeland, his 15th of the year. The 27-year-old Kim is now 4-for-8 to start August after batting .337 (30-for-89) with five home runs and a .999 OPS across 24 games in July. Kim has certainly embraced the leadoff role in San Diego -- his slash line is up to .284/.380/.838 with 60 runs scored, 41 RBI and 22 stolen bases through 406 plate appearances this season.

The Mets selected Arauz's contract from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

Arauz is starting at second base and batting seventh Wednesday against the Royals in what will be his first major-league game of the year. He had slashed .244/.344/.429 with 14 home runs and two stolen bases through 95 games this summer at the Triple-A level.

The Nationals optioned Garcia to Triple-A Rochester following Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Brewers, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Garcia, who was on the bench Wednesday but entered the contest late as a pinch hitter, will head back to the minors after going 12-for-61 (.197 average) while drawing just two walks in 18 games since the All-Star break. The Nationals haven't announced an immediate replacement for Garcia, but among players currently on the 26-man active roster, Ildemaro Vargas or Michael Chavis could be first in line to fill in for him at the keystone.

Gorman (back) will start at second base and bat third Wednesday against the Twins.

Gorman was on the bench for the Cardinals' last two games due to back soreness, but he'll be healthy enough to play the field Wednesday. The 23-year-old has made 26 of his starts this season as a designated hitter, but he'll likely see the overwhelming majority of his playing time at second base moving forward with Brendan Donovan (elbow) set to undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Bae (ankle) will have an extended minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the 10-day injured list, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Bae, who landed on the IL on July 2 with the left ankle injury, began his rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Indianapolis and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored while playing five innings at second base. Tomczyk noted that the Pirates want Bae to get time at multiple positions prior to rejoining the big club, so the 24-year-old might not be a candidate for activation until next weekend at the earliest. Even though he'll get exposure to multiple spots, second base might be where Bae ends up seeing his most playing time once he's reinstated. Fellow rookies Liover Peguero and Nick Gonzales have been seeing time at the keystone of late, but both have struggled to keep their strikeouts in check.

Castro is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

The 29-year-old has filled the strong side of a platoon at second base for most of the season, but he'll likely transition into a utility role after Brendan Rodgers made his return from the 60-day injured list Monday. The lefty-hitting Castro is on the bench for a second straight day, even with the Padres bringing a right-hander (Nick Martinez) to the hill.

Garcia is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The Nationals are facing a lefty (Wade Miley) and playing a day game after a night game, so manager Dave Martinez likely viewed it as an opportune time to give the lefty-hitting Garcia a day off following a stretch of seven consecutive starts. Michael Chavis will replace Garcia at second base and bat ninth.

The Brewers optioned Miller to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.

Miller's demotion comes after he was on the bench for each of the past six games after losing hold of an everyday role following the Brewers' acquisition of Carlos Santana. The 26-year-old had been one of Milwaukee's better hitters over the first two months of the season, but he struggled mightily in July, slashing .178/.212/.247 on the month. He'll look to get back on track while playing regularly in Nashville and could end up settling into a short-side platoon role for the Brewers if he's brought back later in the season.

Gonzales will start at second base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Gonzales is back in the lineup after he had been on the bench for two of the Pirates' previous three games. Both of his absences came against right-handed pitchers, with Liover Peguero drawing starts at the keystone over Gonzales on both occasions. Since receiving a call-up from Triple-A Indianapolis in late June, Gonzales is slashing .222/.275/.364 with a 27.5 percent strikeout rate over 109 plate appearances. He could be on the odd man out of the Pittsburgh infield when Ji Hwan Bae (ankle) returns from the 10-day injured list.