MLB Player News

LeMahieu (hip) expects to ramp up baseball activities over the next few days as he aims to be available for the ALDS, Max Goodman of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

LeMahieu isn't a given to be included on the Yankees' ALDS roster next week even if he's deemed healthy, but he at least wants to put himself in position to be an option. The veteran infielder has been sidelined since early September with a right hip impingement.

The Astros optioned Whitcomb to Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Whitcomb recently had a particularly rough game defensively and is also just 2-for-13 at the dish this month. Zach Dezenzo will move into his roster spot.

Vargas is not in the lineup for Friday's game in Detroit.

Vargas had started each of the last five games and eight of the last nine contests, but he'll begin Friday's series opener on the bench. Bryan Ramos will play third base and bat seventh for the White Sox.

Garcia is not in the lineup for Friday's game in Atlanta.

Garcia had started the last seven games, including each of the past four contests versus lefties, but he'll grab a seat in this one as Atlanta sends southpaw Max Fried to the bump. Garrett Hampson is at third base and batting eighth for the Royals.

Miranda (back) remains out of the lineup for Friday's contest versus the Orioles.

Miranda had to be scratched from Thursday's lineup due to lower-back tightness and evidently still isn't feeling well enough to play. The Twins have Ryan Jeffers at designated hitter and Christian Vazquez at catcher in the series opener.

Sosa went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Thursday against the Angels.

Sosa delivered a two-RBI double and came around to score in a seven-run fifth inning for the White Sox. He's started 19 of the team's 22 games in September and delivered a .375 batting average with three home runs, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored. That could be enough to position Sosa for a starting role to begin 2025, though Brooks Baldwin (wrist) could factor in at second base as well.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double and a run scored in Thursday's 3-2 loss to Oakland.

Smith was back in the lineup after getting a day off against a left-hander Wednesday. He cracked his 29th double and scored as part of the Rangers' two-run third inning. The extra-base knock extended a hit streak to eight games, during which Smith is 10-for-32 (.313) with a home run, four RBI, two steals and six runs. The 26-year-old utility player is putting the finishing touches on what has been the best season of his three years at the major-league level.

Miranda was scratched from the lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Marlins due to lower-back tightness, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

The severity of Miranda's injury remains unknown, but it's apparently enough to cause him to sit down for the third time in Minnesota's last four games. In his absence, Royce Lewis will now serve as the Twins' designated hitter while Willi Castro moves to third base and Austin Martin enters the lineup to play left field.

Duffy started at third base and went 0-for-2 with two walks in Wednesday's 5-1 win over Oakland.

Duffy was added to the roster this week after the Rangers placed Josh Jung (wrist) on the 10-day injured list and Ezequiel Duran landed on paternity leave. Those two transactions open up third base for the righty-hitting Duffy, who got the start against a lefty Wednesday, Josh Smith and Jonathan Ornelas.

Sosa went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run and a double in Wednesday's 4-3 win against the Angels.

Sosa broke a 2-2 tie with a solo homer to left field in the fourth inning. It was his third long ball over his past eight games, a span during which he's batting .360 (9-for-25) with five RBI and five runs. Sosa's hot stretch has extended beyond that span, as he's hitting .373 overall in September.