MLB Player News

The Indians are expected to activate Ramirez (hand) from the 10-day injured list and insert him into the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

After undergoing surgery Aug. 26 to remove the hamate bone from his right hand, Ramirez made swift progress in his recovery and looks on track to return before the regular season ends, something that didn't appear possible when he was shut down with the injury. The Indians were convinced to bring Ramirez back early after he fielded ground balls and took batting practice from both sides of the plate in recent days before advancing to facing live pitching Saturday. So long as Ramirez's return to action Tuesday goes well and the Indians aren't eliminated from playoff contention before the regular-season finale Sept. 29, expect him to start in each of Tribe's last six games.

Chapman went 2-for-4 with a two-run single in a win over the Rangers on Saturday.

Chapman has accomplished the rather improbable feat of hitting a miserable .123 (8-for-65) in September and yet driving in an impressive 12 runs during that span. That anomaly is naturally the byproduct of some timely hitting, keeping Chapman a viable contributor at times down the stretch despite considerable issues with consistent contact (28 strikeouts during current month).

Astudillo is not in Sunday's lineup against the Royals.

Astudillo will head to the bench for the third time in the team's last four games. Marwin Gonzalez will take over at first base and bat sixth in his place.

Ramirez (hand) took batting practice Saturday, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Ramirez hit from both sides of the plate and was making good contact against right-hander Jefry Ramirez and southpaw Kyle Nelson, according to Hoynes. While the team is still assessing his strength and health, it's possible that Ramirez returns to the lineup as soon as Sunday against the Phillies. Originally not expected to be healthy prior to the close of the regular season, it sounds as if Ramirez will almost certainly beat that original estimate.

LeMahieu is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

This looks like a routine breather for a day game after a night game, with the Yankees gearing up for what they hope will be a deep postseason run. Brett Gardner will lead off against right-hander T.J. Zeuch as Gio Urshela mans third base. LeMahieu, once thought to be a Coors Field product, is batting .292 in September and has not hit below .280 in any month this season.

Moncada went 2-for-3 with a walk, a two-run homer and a second run scored in Friday's 10-1 win over the Tigers.

Moncada continues to terrorize AL pitching this month, raising his batting average 26 points following a stretch during which he's batted .477 (31-for-65) over his last 15 games. He ranks fourth in the AL with a .314 average, 79 points better than where he finished in 2018.

LeMahieu went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Thursday's victory over the Angels.

LeMahieu kicked off the scoring for the Yankees with a three-run shot to right field in the second inning. The blast was his 25th of the season -- 10 more than the career high he set last year while playing half his games in the high altitude of Colorado. LeMahieu has exceeded all expectations in his first year as a Yankee, complementing the power numbers with a .329/.377/.518 slash line, 97 RBI and 106 runs scored.

Ramirez (hand) is ramping up activity in an effort to return before the end of the regular season, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

He took batting practice from both sides of the plate Thursday and has been taking infield practice this week. The original timeline was an early-October return, but it sounds like Ramirez is doing everything in his power to beat that estimate.

Astudillo is not in Thursday's lineup against the Royals.

Astudillo is hitting .243 with zero home runs, two walks, two strikeouts and two hit-by-pitches in 13 games this month. Marwin Gonzalez will start at first base and hit sixth.

Candelario (triceps) is starting at first base and hitting fifth Thursday against the Indians.

He appeared off the bench as a defensive replacement Wednesday but did not get an at-bat. Candelario is 7-for-37 (.189) with zero home runs in 12 games this month.