MLB Player News

The Blue Jays scratched Okamoto from the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox due to a left knee contusion.

Toronto called up utility player Charles McAdoo from Triple-A Buffalo as part of a flurry of roster moves Monday, and he'll wind up stepping into the starting nine at third base in place of the banged-up Okamoto. Though the bruised knee is likely causing Okamoto discomfort, he should avoid a trip to the injured list so long as he's not dealing with any sort of sprain or structural damage. Okamoto continues to lead the Blue Jays in home runs (24), RBI (70) and runs (61), but his season average has dropped 14 points since the All-Star break down to .225 while he's struck out at a 32.3 percent clip in the second half.

Encarnacion-Strand is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins.

With the hot-hitting Tyler O'Neill seemingly solidifying himself as the Orioles' primary designated hitter, Encarnacion-Strand looks to have faded into a timeshare at third base with Coby Mayo, who will cover the position in Monday's series opener. Encarnacion-Strand will hit the bench for the third time in four contests while he's gone just 3-for-27 with a 2:8 BB:K over his last 10 games.

The Astros designated Whitcomb for assignment Monday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The transaction frees a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of waiver claim Nelson Velazquez. Whitcomb has slashed just .167/.216/.292 in his limited opportunities at the big-league level the past three seasons. The 27-year-old has hit .265/.342/.479 at the Triple-A level and can play all over the field defensively, so he could draw interest via waivers.

Mathis (undisclosed) has gone 1-for-11 with a double, three walks, two RBI and a run scored in three games for High-A Brooklyn since being reinstated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.

Acquired from the Cubs in a June 25 deal that sent left-hander David Peterson back to Chicago, Mathis didn't make his Mets organizational debut until July 23 while he recovered from an unspecified injury that had kept him on the shelf at High-A South Bend since June 21. After appearing in six rehab games between the rookie-level Florida Complex League and Single-A St. Lucie, Mathis was given the green light to join the Mets' South Atlantic League affiliate.

Reimer (groin) has gone 3-for-16 with one walk, four RBI and three runs in four games for Double-A Binghamton since being reinstated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.

Reimer had been on the shelf since June 18 while recovering from a groin strain. The 22-year-old third baseman has turned in a .212/.318/.379 slash line with six home runs and 12 stolen bases over 54 games with Binghamton on the season.

Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and an RBI in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the White Sox.

Ramirez returned to the lineup after getting Saturday off and made an immediate impact with a run-scoring single in Cleveland's two-run first inning. A sore hand caused him to miss two games in the middle of last week, and there was concern the soreness was related to the surgery he underwent on the same hand in June and led to Saturday's day off. Since returning from the orignal hand injury, Ramirez has gone 12-for-52 (.231) with eight walks, five steals, three RBI and 10 runs scored over 15 contests.

Vargas went 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and two walks Sunday against the Guardians.

Vargas earned a one-out walk in the third inning and was able to come around to score, accounting for his key production in Sunday's win. He has hit just .195 since the All-Star break but has still found ways to be productive by hitting three home runs and scoring 14 runs across 22 games.

Sanoja went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored in Sunday's 12-3 win over the Angels.

Sanoja delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning before driving in two more in the fifth. The 23-year-old has now hit safely in seven of eight August contests, going 10-for-27 with five extra-base hits and seven RBI during that stretch. On the year, he's slashing .274/.312/.411 with four homers, 42 RBI, 29 runs scored and six stolen bases across 318 plate appearances.

Bichette went 5-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's 11-1 victory over the Pirates.

Bichette led the Mets' 15-hit barrage Sunday, as the third baseman matched a career high with five hits. Bichette has gone 11-for-26 (.423) with three doubles and a home run over his last six games. Overall, he's slashing .263/.307/.378 with 11 homers, 59 RBI, 57 runs scored and a stolen base across 511 plate appearances this season.

Bregman went 3-for-6 with a run scored and two RBI in Sunday's 10-2 win over the Royals.

Bregman has mostly underwhelmed in his first season with the Cubs, but he turned back the clock with a productive performance Sunday. The veteran third baseman historically plays better down the stretch, and he should remain in the lineup most days as Chicago jockeys for playoff positioning. Bregman is now slashing .263/,317/.395 with a home run, six RBI and six runs scored across nine games this month.