MLB Player News

Perdomo (ankle) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Brewers.

Perdomo sustained a left ankle sprain Saturday against the Padres and is being held out of the starting nine Tuesday for a second consecutive game. Jose Fernandez is receiving another start at shortstop in his place while James McCann enters the lineup at catcher.

Cruz (illness) is starting in center field and batting leadoff Tuesday against the Cardinals.

The 27-year-old was scratched from the lineup for Monday's series opener due to an illness but is good to go for Tuesday's contest. Cruz has gone 0-for-10 with five strikeouts in his past two games but overall has been productive during the first month of the campaign with eight home runs, 10 steals, 24 RBI, 19 runs and an .838 OPS in 27 games.

Pena (hamstring) began taking at-bats in live batting practice Tuesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pena was cleared to begin running last week, and he appears to be making strides in his recovery from a right hamstring strain now that he's received the green light to face live pitching. Manager Joe Espada added that the 28-year-old infielder is close to beginning a rehab assignment in the minor leagues, though he remains without a firm return timeline.

The Athletics placed Muncy on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to a fractured fifth metacarpal in his left hand.

According to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com, Muncy sustained the injury on a hit-by-pitch April 13 against the Rangers, though the non-displaced fracture wasn't revealed until he underwent an MRI on Monday. The 23-year-old will be shut down from baseball activities for an unspecified period and is likely to be on the shelf beyond the 10-day minimum. Brett Harris was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move, but it'll likely be Darell Hernaiz that benefits most from Muncy's absence.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz noted Tuesday that he's not sure when Holliday (hand) will be ready to play in games again, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Holliday has had to be pulled off a rehab assignment twice due to nagging soreness in his surgically repaired right hand. He went through a battery of tests that came back negative but is currently limited to fielding grounders. Expect the Orioles to proceed cautiously with Holliday so as to avoid another setback.

The Cubs designated Cowles for assignment Tuesday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver pickup Doug Nikhazy. Cowles has slashed .232/.333/.377 this season with Triple-A Iowa.

Lee is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Mariners.

It's a well-earned day off for Lee, who had started each of the previous 16 contests. Tristan Gray will grab a start at shortstop and bat eighth for the Twins.

The Guardians optioned Brito to Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.

Brito didn't do much during his first stint in the majors, slashing .176/.250/.255 with a 30.4 percent strikeout rate. He's exiting the roster to clear space for the arrival of Travis Bazzana, who will take over as Cleveland's starting second baseman.

Mayer went 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 5-0 win over Toronto.

Mayer's bat has come around over the last week. His batting average stood at .173 through the first 18 games played, but he's up to .243 with an 8-for-18 stretch that includes three doubles and four RBI over the last seven contests. All of his starts have come against right-handers, but interim manager Chad Tracy said Monday that he's open to giving Mayer opportunities against left-handers, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

The Guardians plan to option Brito to Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The Guardians plan to promote top prospect Travis Bazzana and are expected to clear a roster spot by optioning Brito, who had rocky first taste of MLB. After being called up to replace Gabriel Arias (hamstring) earlier in April, he slashed .176/.250/.255 over 15 games while committing some defensive miscues. Bazzana is expected to become the team's primary second baseman and could remain there when Arias is ready to return.