MLB Player News

Lewis will start at third base for Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Lewis is a shortstop by trade, but that position is firmly blocked by Carlos Correa for now. He impressed in his brief debut while Correa was out with a finger injury, hitting .308/.325/.564 with a pair of homers in 11 games, but he nevertheless was sent to the minors upon Correa's return from the injured list. How often he features at other positions for St. Paul could give clues as to how quickly he'll return. While previous reports indicated he'd continue to primarily start at shortstop, he'll need to get experience at other positions if he's to play alongside Correa, so his start at shortstop Friday could indicate that the Twins want to prepare him for a flexible role.

Ramirez (lower leg) is in the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers, batting third and playing third base.

Ramirez was pulled from Thursday's game against the Reds after fouling the ball off his right shin, but the injury apparently won't cost him any games. That's great news for the Guardians, as Ramirez is hitting a typically excellent .280/.377/.553 on the year.

Walls will hit the bench Friday against Baltimore, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Walls sits for the second time in three games, a stretch that follows a run of six straight starts. Yandy Diaz starts at third base Friday, while Wander Franco and Isaac Paredes fill the middle infield spots.

Suarez went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs in a loss to the Red Sox on Thursday.

Suarez's bat finally seems to be coming to life, as he's now carrying a four-game hitting streak and has generated a solid .265 average over his last nine games. The veteran slugger's .216/.314/.439 season line still has a long way to go to reach Suarez's pre-2020 standards, but perhaps this is the beginning of the end of a funk that has lasted more than two seasons.

Moncada (leg) will bat seventh and play third base Friday against the Yankees.

Moncada played the entirety of Thursday's game against the Royals, but reports emerged after the contest that he'd picked up a minor leg issue. The problem evidently isn't a serious one, as he'll remain in the lineup Friday, though it's possible it will send him to the bench at some point in the next few days.

Moncada felt discomfort in his leg during Thursday's game against the Royals, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Moncada didn't exit the game and went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts. Merkin added that Moncada was moving around fine after the game, and manager Tony La Russa also downplayed the severity of the problem. Given that context, the issue doesn't appear likely to cost Moncada time, but it will be worth confirming that he is in the lineup to start the White Sox's weekend series against the Yankees.

Ramirez will receive an MRI after he was removed in the eighth inning of Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Reds when he fouled a ball off his right shin, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Ramirez initially stayed in the game and completed the plate appearance with an RBI single for his lone hit on the day, but Ernie Clement came off the bench to pinch run for him and then replaced him in the field in the top of the ninth. The MRI may just be out of an abundance of precaution, but Ramirez's fantasy managers will nonetheless want to keep an eye on his status heading into the Guardians' three-game weekend series with the Tigers.

Toro went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Toro put the final run of the night on the board for the Mariners with a 350-foot laser to right in the ninth inning. The 25-year-old now has two homers in the last four games, but his season slash line remains an abysmal .167/.224/.342 across 125 plate appearances.

Mead is on the COVID-19 injured list at Double-A Montgomery, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

Fortunately it shouldn't be a long absence for Mead, who last played May 15. He is hitting .291/.392/.518 with four home runs and a 13.8 K% in 130 plate appearances.

Rivera will start at third base and bat sixth in Thursday's game against the White Sox.

Rivera will pick up his third straight start and is being included in the lineup for the seventh time in nine contests. With outfielder Michael Taylor (illness) heading to the COVID-19 injured list Thursday and with catcher Salvador Perez (thumb) having landed on the 10-day IL earlier this week, Rivera should maintain at least a part-time role for the Royals in the short term, especially if he continues to hold his own at the plate. In a small sample of 38 plate appearances this season, he's gotten on base at a .316 clip while providing five extra-base hits.