MLB Player News

Gorman is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs.

Gorman has now been out of the lineup six times over the Cardinals' last eight games. This is the fifth time he's sat against a lefty over that stretch, as Shota Imanaga will take the ball for the Cubs on Thursday. Among St. Louis' left-handed bats, it's clear Gorman is among the lowest on the totem pole right now.

Brujan isn't in the Marlins' lineup for Thursday's game against Atlanta.

Brujan will get a breather Thursday after going 2-for-4 with two runs scored during Wednesday's win over the Rays. Kyle Stowers, Nick Gordon and Forrest Wall will start across Miami's outfield while Brujan sits.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Wagner could make his big-league debut "sooner than later", Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old was having an impressive season at Triple-A Sugar Land before being included in the package the Astros sent to the Jays for Yusei Kikuchi, slashing .307/.424/.429 in 70 games with a 54:33 BB:K, albeit with modest power (five homers) and speed (three steals). Wagner saw time at first base, second base and third base with Sugar Land this year and likely profiles as a utility infielder in the majors, fitting the organizational philosophy for a Toronto squad that already has versatile defenders Ernie Clement, Spencer Horwitz, Davis Schneider and Addison Barger on the 26-man roster.

Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Brewers.

Making his first start as Atlanta's new second baseman and batting ninth, Merrifield made a solid contribution to a 6-2 victory that included his 13th steal of the year. The veteran utility player appears fully recovered from the finger injury he suffered immediately after signing with the team July 22, and until Ozzie Albies (wrist) is ready to return, Merrifield has little competition for playing time at the keystone. His .578 OPS on the season is a career low, but he could turn things around down the stretch as Atlanta tries to catch the Phillies -- the team that cut him loose in mid-July -- in the NL East standings.

Semien went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Wednesday's 10-1 loss to St. Louis.

Semien drove in the Rangers' lone run with a sixth-inning single. He finished off his best month of the season, batting .287/.374/.479 over 24 games during July. After serving as the team's leadoff hitter all season, Semien batted third in the order for the third consecutive game Wednesday -- all coming against right-handers. It's unclear if he'll remain the club's leadoff bat against lefties. Texas kicks off a homestand Friday against the Red Sox, who have three right-handers scheduled.

Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds. He also stole a base.

It's been a bit of a down year for Hoerner, who's batting .252 with a .670 OPS after hitting .283 with a .729 OPS last season. The infielder has a total of 17 stolen bases this year, though he ran wild in 2023 with 43 steals. It doesn't seem like Hoerner will match last year's production overall, but if he can reach base consistently down the stretch, he could still be a fantasy difference-maker due to his ability on the basepaths.

Polanco was removed from Wednesday's game due to knee issues, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

Polanco went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk before Leo Rivas replaced him in the field during the eighth inning. Polanco's knee also forced him to make an early exit from Sunday's game against the White Sox, so it's possible the Mariners sit him down for a game or two as a precaution.

Holliday went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Wednesday's 10-4 win over the Blue Jays.

Holliday certainly made the most of his first big-league homer -- the 20-year-old launched a 439-foot grand slam on a 0-2 pitch from Yerry Rodriguez, extending the Orioles lead to 8-3. While it was just the third hit for Holliday in 39 at-bats with Baltimore, he posted an .860 OPS with eight homers and seven steals in 63 games after he was sent back down to Triple-A Norfolk. With Jordan Westburg (hand) likely to join Jorge Mateo (elbow) on the injured list, Holliday should get the chance to prove himself as a regular in the majors.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said after Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Marlins that Palacios is nursing a hyperextended right knee and is considered day-to-day, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Palacios was lifted from Wednesday's game against the Marlins after just two innings with the injury. Cash noted that the utility player will be re-evaluated Thursday before the team heads out on its road trip, but at least for the time being, Palacios looks to have avoided a serious injury.

The Rays announced that Palacios was removed after two innings in Wednesday's game against the Marlins due to right knee discomfort, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

In his lone plate appearance in the bottom of the second inning, Palacios reached base on a walk, then proceeded to steal his 19th base of the season. Palacios looked to have injured his knee while sliding into second, but he was able to stay in the game and ultimately came around to score on Jonny DeLuca's RBI triple. However, Palacios remained in the dugout when the Rays took the field for the top of the third, with Dylan Carlson coming off the bench to replace him in left field. The Rays are viewing Palacios as day-to-day, and the team should have a better feel for his status heading into this weekend's series in Houston following Thursday's team off day.