MLB Player News

Garcia (hamstring) is running at 80 percent while participating in baseball activities, per MLB.com.

Garcia hit the injured list Aug. 21 due to a left hamstring strain just four games after returning from a muscle strain in his left hand. The third baseman's progress in rehab is a positive sign and keeps a return before the end of the regular season on the table, though the Royals may ultimately err on the side of caution with the team far from playoff contention. In 73 games, Garcia is slashing .269/.324/.385 with three homers, 32 RBI, 34 runs and five stolen bases.

Gelof went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, a triple, a second RBI and two total runs scored in Friday's 7-6 win over the Mariners.

Gelof logged his third straight multi-hit effort, and he's had a homer in each of those games. The infielder is seeing steady playing time, and the hot bat will certainly help to keep him in the lineup. For the season, Gelof is batting .260 with an .802 OPS, 17 homers, 42 RBI, 61 runs scored, 14 doubles, two triples and 11 stolen bases over 91 contests. With one more long ball, he'll set a new personal best.

Muncy went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-6 win over the Mariners.

Muncy had the first of the Athletics' four homers off Logan Gilbert in the third inning. Muncy has gone 14-for-49 (.286) over his last 15 games, adding three homers and six RBI in that span. For the second, the infielder is batting .224 with a .677 OPS, eight homers, 27 RBI, 29 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples and three stolen bases over 73 contests.

White (back) has made good progress in his recovery and is potentially available off the bench for Friday's game against the Mariners, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The rookie infielder has been battling a sore back and the A's held him out of all baseball activities for a couple days to give him time to heal up. It would seem those days off had the desired effect, though it's still uncertain when White may return to the starting lineup. After a hot start upon his promotion to the majors, White has limped to a .530 OPS across his last 30 games.

Smith went 0-for-2 with three walks and a run scored in Thursday's win over the Guardians.

Starting at third base and batting sixth, Smith didn't manage to put the ball in play on the night, striking out twice in addition to his walks. Through 16 games for the Blue Jays since being picked up from the Rangers at the trade deadline, Smith has delivered a .250/.368/.531 slash line -- a remarkable turnaround from the .213/.299/.272 line he'd limped to in Texas this season. Per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Smith's improvement can be largely attributed to tweaks with his swing suggested by his new hitting coaches that have upped his bat speed from 68.3 mph with the Rangers to 74.0 mph during Wednesday's game. "[It's about] knowing what I'm best at," Smith said Thursday about the adjustments. "Like how the way my body is moving when it's best, the type of load patterns and stuff like that. They've really helped out."

Gelof went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and a stolen base in a 7-4 victory against the Mariners on Thursday.

Gelof got the scoring started with a solo homer off rookie Kade Anderson in the first inning. The utility man added a single and a steal in the fifth to round out a strong performance. Gelof also went deep Wednesday, so he has a long ball in back-to-back contests following a 15-game homer drought. On the season, he's slashing .258/.325/.462 with 16 home runs, 59 runs, 40 RBI and 11 thefts through 348 plate appearances.

White (back) hasn't resumed any baseball activities yet, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

White has been dealing with lower-back tightness since Tuesday, and the team is expected to give him at least one more day to make recovery before making a decision on a potential stint on the injured list. The 23-year-old posted a .247 average with two home runs, three doubles, eight RBI and 10 runs scored in 26 games during August.

Donovan continues to experience concussion symptoms, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Donovan has still felt concussion symptoms like nausea, fatigue and dizziness while participating in pregame workouts, and he will not be cleared to play until he can make it through one of those workouts free of symptoms. The 29-year-old has been sidelined since he was hit in the head by a baseball prior to a game against the Cubs on Aug. 22.

Jung (calf) ran for the third consecutive day Thursday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Jung is eyeing a return to live games over the weekend with a rehab assignment. The third baseman is trying to return from a left calf strain that landed him on the 10-day injured list in late July. He was not at 100% running Monday but has seemingly made progress the past couple days.

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

Loftin has recorded a base hit in eight of his last nine games, but the Royals will give him a breather during Thursday's series finale. Josh Rojas will step in to start at third base and bat seventh.