MLB Player News

Anderson (leg) is not in the lineup Monday against the Blue Jays.

Anderson is out of the starting nine for the third consecutive contest as he continues to manage some leg soreness. Manager Tony La Russa previously said the injury is minor and that the shortstop's absence is precautionary, but he's nonetheless sitting for the third straight day. Danny Mendick will start at shortstop while Cesar Hernandez handles leadoff duties in his absence.

Bichette went 3-for-6 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's 5-3 extra-innings loss to Detroit.

The shortstop has recorded multiple hits in three of his last five games, going 7-for-23 (.304) in that span, although he's added just two runs scored. Bichette continues to be reliable atop the Toronto order with a .287/.337/.459 slash line, 20 home runs, 77 RBI, 91 runs scored and 18 stolen bases in 520 plate appearances overall.

Franco went 2-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's 9-0 win over the White Sox.

Franco doubled in a run and came around to score in the third inning and later crossed home in the sixth and seventh frames. The superstar rookie is riding a 24-game on-base streak, going 29-for-93 (.312) with 13 extra-base hits and 23 runs scored during that span. During his current seven-game hitting streak, he's 12-for-28 (.429) while striking out just one time.

Wendle went 2-for-4 with a run-scoring single and an RBI groundout in a win over the White Sox on Saturday.

Wendle extended the Rays' lead to 5-1 in the fourth inning with his timely knock, while his eighth-inning groundout added a bit of insurance in the form of Tampa Bay's eighth and final run of the contest. The multi-hit effort was Wendle's first since Aug. 7 and snapped the brief 2-for-17 skid that had encompassed his last five games.

The Blue Jays optioned Lopez to Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday.

Lopez's demotion clears a spot on the active roster for right-hander Alek Manoah (personal), who was reinstated from the bereavement list ahead of his scheduled start Monday versus the White Sox. During his first stint in the big leagues, the 22-year-old Lopez appeared in one game and struck out in his lone plate appearance. He'll assume an everyday role upon heading back to Buffalo.

White Sox manager Tony La Russa said Anderson will remain out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays due to leg soreness, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. "If this was October, he'd be in there, but this is preventative," La Russa said of Anderson.

The Chicago skipper stressed that Anderson wasn't dealing with any sort of injury, so the 28-year-old shortstop truly looks to be out of the starting nine for a second straight day for extra maintenance amid a heavy schedule of games for the White Sox. Danny Mendick will fill in for him in the series finale, but expect Anderson to be back in the lineup for Monday's game in Toronto.

Velazquez went 1-for-4 with a solo homer, the first of his career, in Saturday's win over the Twins.

The homer had minimal impact on the game, as it stretched the Yankees' lead from five to six runs, but it was a nice moment for the Bronx native, who's been crashing on his parents' couch during his brief time in the big leagues. While Velazquez has been a fun story, he remains largely uninteresting for fantasy purposes, as he's a 27-year-old utility man with a lifetime .178 batting average in 147 career trips to the plate.

Franco went 3-for-9 with an RBI single, a run-scoring double and three runs in Friday's and Saturday's games against the White Sox.

The hot-hitting shortstop recorded an RBI infield single in Friday's extra-innings loss before coming through with a timely two-bagger in Saturday's win that plated Nelson Cruz with Tampa Bay's first run of the day. The productive pair of outings is par for the course for Franco in August, a month in which he's knocked in 14 runs over 17 games with the aid of seven extra-base hits (four doubles, three home runs).

Mateo isn't starting Saturday's game against Atlanta.

Mateo has been hot at the plate recently, as he's hit .357 with five doubles, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base during his current 11-game hitting streak. Ramon Urias will shift to second base while Richie Martin takes over at shortstop.

Diaz isn't starting Saturday's game against the Mariners, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Diaz will get a rare day off after he went 5-for-10 with two doubles, two RBI and a run across the last two games. Yuli Gurriel will shift to the hot corner while Taylor Jones starts at first base.