MLB Player News

McNeil (hamstring) is not in the starting lineup for Friday's matchup with the Marlins, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

McNeil was expected to have a shot at returning Friday, but he will miss his third consecutive game. Dominic Smith will start again at designated hitter and bat eighth in the series opener. McNeil remains day-to-day and will be available off the bench if needed Friday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Sosa went 0-for-1 with a walk Thursday against the Orioles.

Sosa entered in the sixth inning to make his major-league debut after Josh Harrison (elbow) exited the game. Sosa struck out on four pitches in his first at-bat, but he managed a nine-pitch walk in the following plate appearance. Prior to his promotion, Sosa hit .331/.384/.549 with 14 home runs across 289 plate appearances with Double-A Birmingham.

Arroyo (illness) is expected to be activated off the COVID-19 injured list Friday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Arroyo went 0-for-6 on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Worcester, serving as a designated hitter Tuesday then moving to shortstop Wednesday. With Enrique Hernandez slow to recover from a hip injury, there could be an opening for Arroyo in the outfield, particularly if Hernandez can't make it back in time for next week's series in Toronto. The Red Sox will be without Jarren Duran, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, and short on outfielders for their road trip across the border.

Chavis went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Thursday's 8-7 victory against the Cubs.

Chavis quietly went 0-for-3 over his first three plate appearances, but he came up big late in the game. The 26-year-old crushed a solo homer off David Robertson in the eighth inning to tie the score 7-7, and he followed with a walk-off single in the 10th. This was a nice turnaround performance for Chavis, who came into the contest hitting only .175 (11-for-63) in June.

Rodgers went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, one RBI and one run scored Thursday against the Marlins.

Rodgers doubled in a run in the third inning and also came around to score. He has only four multi-hit games across 21 starts in June, though he's shown a significant uptick in power by collecting 13 extra-base hits in 89 at-bats. Rodgers still has only six home runs on the season but has chipped in 35 runs scored and 32 RBI to go along with a .255 average across 254 plate appearances.

Vargas started in left field for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, broadcaster Alex Freedman reports. He went 1-for-3 with a walk in the loss to Round Rock.

Vargas was back at third base for Thursday's contest, but his stint in left field Wednesday was notable in that it was his first start at the position in his professional career. It may not be a coincidence that the 22-year-old's first foray in the outfield came four days after Mookie Betts was place on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right rib, though Los Angeles has since traded for Trayce Thompson to add outfield depth. Regardless, adding a new position to his skill set can only help Vargas in his quest for his first call-up, and he looked good in left field Wednesday, notching three putouts -- including a nice running catch on a deep drive with two runners on base and two outs in the seventh inning -- and making no miscues. It wouldn't be surprising to see Vargas called up to the majors at some point this season, as he's stood out in 67 games with Oklahoma City, slashing .282/.379/.485 with 11 home runs, 50 RBI, 57 runs and eight stolen bases on nine attempts.

Altuve went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and a hit by pitch in Thursday's 7-6 loss to the Yankees.

Altuve was plunked to start the game, and he would come around to score on an Alex Bregman home run. The second baseman added a single and another run in the third after a Yordan Alvarez blast. With six runs scored in his last four games, Altuve is doing a good job of setting the table atop the Astros' order. The 32-year-old is slashing .278/.354/.524 with 13 homers, 24 RBI, 37 runs scored, three stolen bases and 13 doubles in 54 contests this year.

Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Pirates.

Hoerner's counting stats don't jump off the page, with just three home runs and 20 RBI this season, though he does consistently rack up hits. The 25-year-old is now batting .280 this year, which comes on the heels of batting .302 in 44 games with the Cubs in 2021. Hoerner has established himself as the team's top shortstop, and he has some fantasy value despite being limited in terms of power production.

Sosa isn't included in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Orioles.

Fresh off his promotion from Double-A Birmingham earlier Thursday, Sosa could be eased into the majors as a reserve option. The 22-year-old is an intriguing prospect who looks ready for a stiffer test after turning in a .933 OPS in 289 plate appearances at Birmingham, but he may have to settle for a utility role initially while manager Tony La Russa turns to a combination of Josh Harrison, Leury Garcia and Jake Burger to handle reps at second base and third base. Neither Harrison (.611 OPS) nor Garcia (.456 OPS) have been especially impressive, however, so Sosa may not have to wait long to get an opportunity.

Sosa's contract was selected from Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday.

Sosa has been in the midst of a breakout campaign in Birmingham to begin the season, as he slashed .331/.384/.549 with 14 home runs, 48 RBI and 47 runs over 62 games at the Double-A level. Although the 22-year-old has never played above Double-A, he'll be rewarded with a big-league promotion to provide infield depth for the White Sox after Danny Mendick (knee) was placed on the injured list Thursday.