MLB Player News

Adames will start at shortstop and bat ninth Sunday against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Adames had started three of the previous four games at shortstop and will earn his third straight nod Sunday, so it appears safe to conclude he's leapfrogged Adeiny Hechavarria on the depth chart. Hechavarria is a candidate to be dealt before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, but even if he stays put in Tampa Bay, the Rays should continue to make getting Adames steady at-bats a priority in the second half.

Wendle will start in left field and bat leadoff Sunday against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's likely just a temporary stint atop the lineup with the Rays' normal leadoff hitter, Kevin Kiermaier, getting the day off. Wendle is slashing .366/.438/.592 with three home runs, nine RBI and 10 runs in July, so the Rays offense shouldn't lose much juice with Kiermaier on the bench.

Bogaerts is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Bogaerts will receive a breather after starting each of the Red Sox's first eight games out of the All-Star break, during which he went 7-for-31 with no RBI and four runs. Brock Holt will pick up the start at shortstop in Bogaerts' stead.

Mondesi will start at shortstop and bat second Sunday against the Yankees.

It appears the absence of lineup mainstay Jorge Bonifacio is the main reason why Mondesi, who has mostly served as the Royals' No. 9 hitter since being promoted from Triple-A Omaha on June 17, will occupy prime real estate in Sunday's batting order. With Bonifacio's power bat on the bench, Whit Merrifield will shift down to the cleanup spot, opening up the two hole for Mondesi. The 23-year-old could soon force his way into the top half of the order based on merit, as he's gone 7-for-13 with three stolen bases over his past four appearances.

Fletcher started and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Saturday's 11-5 win over Seattle.

There was concern that the rookie would fall on the short side of a platoon at the hot corner with Luis Valbuena following Albert Pujols' return from the disabled list last week, but Fletcher has put the position battle to rest by making his 11th consecutive start. The 24-year-old isn't providing much pop this season (.394 slugging percentage), but he's batting .294 and should build on his 12 runs scored while batting leadoff against southpaws and ninth (effectively the "second leadoff hitter") against righties.

Mondesi didn't get the start in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Yankees, but he came into the game in the ninth inning, and went 1-for-1 with two stolen bases.

He led off the inning with a single against Aroldis Chapman, and then took matter into his own hands after Alex Gordon and Alcides Escobar failed to advance him by stealing second and third before Chapman was able to close out a 5-4 Yankees win. Even with Mike Moustakas now in Milwaukee, there's no guarantee Mondesi will see consistent playing time down the stretch, but his .294/.310/.471 slash line with three homers and eight steals in 24 games suggests he's a much better option in a starting role than either Hunter Dozier or Escobar.

Herrera went 2-for-4 with two doubles, one walk, two RBI and two runs scored in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Herrera drove in a pair in the third frame on a double to right field, handing the Royals an early 2-0 lead. He's recorded a base knock in seven of his past 10 tilts, going 10-for-38 with three extra-base hits and four RBI over that stretch. He has not homered in 39 appearances this season.

Gordon went 3-for-5 and recorded a stolen base in an extra-inning loss to the Angels on Friday. He was also caught stealing on another attempt.

The speedster fulfilled his leadoff role in trademark fashion, banging out multiple hits for the sixth time in July. Gordon has enjoyed an offensive breakout overall during the current month, as evidenced by a .333 average over 78 plate appearances. The 30-year-old has now coaxed his season average up 11 points to .291 since July 1, which represents its highest point since June 23.

Wendle went 1-for-3 with two walks and a run in a loss to the Orioles on Friday.

Wendle is wrapping up the best month of his season in fittingly strong fashion, as he's now 5-for-12 with a double, two walks and two runs over the last three games. The 28-year-old has also collected nine multi-hit efforts on his way to a .373 average for the month, a tear that's boosted his season figure 26 points to .286 since July 1.

Lindor went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Friday's 8-3 win over the Tigers.

His two-run shot in the fifth inning got Cleveland on the board before he wrapped up the scoring with a solo blast in the ninth. Lindor now has 27 home runs on the year to go along with his .294/.369/.571 slash line, and he's easily on pace to top the career-high 33 he slugged last season.