MLB Player News

Mondesi is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

After missing two games with a minor hamstring issue, Mondesi returned to the lineup for the past two contests and went 2-for-7 with a pair of runs and a stolen base in those contests. Mondesi's activity on the basepaths suggests that the hamstring isn't much of a concern, but the Royals will hold him out of the starting nine nonetheless for rest purposes. His absence paves the way for Alcides Escobar to pick up a start at shortstop.

Herrera is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Herrera will hit the bench for the second time this series and may be on the outs for a full-time role after playing regularly since returning from paternity leave July 16. He has gone just 6-for-36 at the plate over his last 10 games and is slashing .179/.235/.205 over 22 contests in August, prompting manager Ned Yost to hand more frequent opportunities to the likes of Ryan O'Hearn and Hunter Dozier. Even on a rebuilding Royals squad going nowhere, it's hard to justify giving consistent at-bats to a non-prospect like Herrera with that kind of poor production over an extended period.

Ahmed is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.

Ahmed is 5-for-12 over the last three games but will head to the bench against Mariners starter Mike Leake (illness). Ketel Marte will move to shortstop while Daniel Descalso starts at second base.

Wendle will start at second base and lead off Sunday against the Red Sox, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

The Rays have installed Wendle as their new table setter against right-handed pitching following Mallex Smith's (infection) placement on the disabled list. Wendle will bat out of the leadoff spot for the third game in a row after going 3-for-8 with a walk and stolen base over the first two contests of the series.

Rojas is out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Braves, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Rojas will take a seat after starting and collecting a hit in each of the last four games. JT Riddle earns the starting nod at shortstop, batting fifth.

Mondesi went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored against the Indians on Saturday.

Mondesi returned from a hamstring injury Friday night, so it's a positive sign that he waited only one game to swipe a base. He now has 17 steals on the season despite appearing in only 46 games at the major-league level. As a result of that aggressiveness on the basepaths, he could be a key contributor as the season winds down, despite offering little power.

Wendle went 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and an RBI in Saturday's win over the Red Sox.

Wendle slapped a pair of singles before adding a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. The 28-year-old continues to impress during his first extended look in the majors, slashing .291/.341/.421 with seven homers and nine stolen bases over 110 games this season.

Swanson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run against the Marlins on Saturday.

Swanson took Drew Steckenrider deep in the ninth inning to record his 13th home run of the season. He has now blasted six home runs in 99 second-half at-bats, only one fewer than he recorded in 300 at-bats prior to the break. Though his production is not all that appealing in shallow formats, Swanson has taken a step forward with his run and power production from the 2017 season -- his first full season at the major-league level.

Crawford went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Crawford's three-run blast in the first inning was his 12th long ball of the season but just his second since the All-Star break, and the shortstop is hitting a rough .184 (21-for-114) in the second half. His .263/.333/.413 slash line on the year is on par with his usual output, however, so Saturday's power display could be a sign he's about to right the ship.

Baez went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run and three RBI in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Reds.

It was his 28th homer of the year and third in the last four games as Baez is once again making life miserable for the opposition, going 12-for-26 over his last six contests to push his slash line on the season up to .297/.329/.579. The 25-year-old is also only two long balls and three RBI shy of his first campaign with 30 homers an 100 RBI.