MLB Player News

Vogelbach went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in a 7-5 loss to the Giants on Saturday.

Vogelbach pinch hit for Michael Chavis in the eighth inning and brought the Pirates to within a run. It was his eighth home run of the year and 18th RBI. The left-handed slugger was on the bench to start the game with lefty pitcher Alex Wood on the mound for San Francisco.

Ramirez went 2-for-4 with three RBI in a 7-6 win over the Orioles on Saturday.

Ramirez hit a single, a two-run double and a game-winning sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth for another positive night at the plate. The 27-year-old outfielder is hitting .293 on the season and has been hot in June, slashing .342/.381/.395 in 12 games entering Saturday. His 98th percentile ranking in xBA suggest his batting average is legitimate, and he has shown an ability to hit the ball hard, even if his home run totals (two) are low.

Choi went 2-for-5 with one home run, two RBI and one run scored in Saturday's 7-6 victory over Baltimore.

Choi struggled with elbow issues earlier in the season which saw him take a trip to the injured list, but he is swinging a hot bat in June. He entered Saturday with a .348/.392/.522 slash line this month. The veteran first baseman combines a patient approach at the plate with enough power for the Rays to like him slotted into the cleanup spot against right-handed pitchers, though he doesn't play much versus southpaws.

Winker is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Angels.

Winker will end up on the bench for the beginning of both games of this twin bill, but he did appear off the bench in the matinee, going 1-for-2 with a strikeout. Justin Upton is starting at designated hitter while Adam Frazier starts in left field.

Buxton will sit Saturday against Arizona, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton has avoided the injured list all season, though it's taken frequent rests for that to happen. He'll sit here after starting five consecutive games, the second-longest run of starts he's had all year. Nick Gordon (hamstring) will get the start in center field.

Mercedes was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Mercedes made a brief splash at the start of last season as a 28-year-old rookie, but his overall .271/.328/.404 slash line in 68 games was merely good for a 101 wRC+, a number which isn't good enough for a player who shouldn't feature anywhere other than designated hitter. He's spent all of this season with Triple-A Charlotte, where he's hit .230/.376/.425 in 25 games. The Giants are quite good at building a roster that gets the most out of a set of imperfect players, but whether or not they'll eventually carve out a meaningful role for Mercedes remains to be seen.

Vogelbach will sit Saturday against the Giants.

Vogelbach hits the bench against lefty Alex Wood, though he'd started against three of the previous four left-handers the Pirates faced, so it's not clear that he's slipping back into a platoon role. Michael Chavis will serve as the designated hitter Saturday, with Yu Chang taking Chavis' usual spot at first base.

McCutchen isn't starting Saturday's game against the Reds.

McCutchen will get a rare day off after he went 4-for-9 with three runs, an RBI, three walks and a strikeout over the last three games. Christian Yelich will serve as the designated hitter while Jonathan Davis enters the lineup in center field.

Harper will sit Saturday against the Nationals due to an infected blister on his left hand, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Harper finds himself on the bench for the second game in a row, as he sat for the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader. That may have been a scheduled game off, but Saturday's absence doesn't seem to have been planned. The issue apparently flared up overnight, so Harper will sit for at least one game while taking antibiotics to treat the issue. The Phillies have an off day Monday, so it's possible he sits Sunday as well in order to get three straight days to heal. Nick Castellanos will take his designated hitter spot while Matt Vierling starts in right field.

Winker will sit for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Angels,.

The Mariners will likely give many of their regulars a rest in one of the day's two games. The Angels are sending out southpaws (Patrick Sandoval and Jose Suarez) in both contests, so it likely didn't matter much which game Winker would sit for. Dylan Moore will take over in left field.