MLB Player News

Merrill is not in the Padres' starting lineup against the White Sox on Friday.

Merrill has struggled at the plate as of late, having gone 4-for-42 (.095) with one steal, two RBI and a 37.5 percent strikeout rate over his last 11 games. He'll take a seat for Friday's series opener while Bryce Johnson gets the start in center field and bats ninth.

Jackson is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The 26-year-old opened the season in a bit of a timeshare at second base, but he grabbed hold of the everyday job with a hot start and is now sitting after starting 19 straight games. Jackson's bat has cooled off lately, however, as he's slashing just .200/.238/.300 in his past 11 contests. Blaze Alexander is manning the keystone Friday for Baltimore.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Volpe (shoulder) will remain on his rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset through this weekend, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

The Yankees discussed the possibility of bringing Volpe back for their weekend series against the Orioles, but the team will wait until his 20-day rehab window closes Monday before activating him from the 10-day injured list. Coming back from left shoulder surgery, Volpe has played 10 rehab contests thus far, slashing .303/.324/.394 with one home run, two stolen bases and a 1:7 BB:K. Jose Caballero will remain the Yankees' primary shortstop through the weekend.

Martin will start in right field and bat third in Friday's game against the Blue Jays.

That the righty-swinging Martin is in the lineup versus lefty Patrick Corbin is not a surprise. However, he's now started in right field three times in the last four games, and the first two of those game against righties. Martin has been one of the Twins' best hitters this season and could be emerging as the team's preferred option in right field over the struggling Matt Wallner.

Turner is not in the lineup for Friday's game in Miami.

Turner had started every game this season -- including both legs of Thursday's doubleheader against the Giants -- so he's earned a day off. Edmundo Sosa will cover shortstop for the Phillies in Friday's series opener.

Volpe (shoulder) will not be activated from the 10-day injured list before Friday's game versus the Orioles, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

The Yankees had not ruled out the possibility of reinstating Volpe to make his season debut Friday, but the club has ultimately decided to give the shortstop at least one more rehab game with Double-A Somerset. He's hitting .303/.324/.394 with one home run, two stolen bases and a 1:7 BB:K in his first 10 rehab games. Jose Caballero will continue to handle shortstop for the Yankees until Volpe is deemed ready.

Smith is out of the lineup for Friday's game versus the Tigers.

It's the second straight game on the bench for the 28-year-old, both of which have come against a right-handed starter. Smith has a .193/.306/.217 slash line with just two extra-base hits through 98 plate appearances this season, and it appears those struggles have started to affect his playing time. Ezequiel Duran is again starting at second base Friday for Texas.

Arquette (groin) has gone 3-for-8 with three doubles, five RBI, two runs and one stolen base in two games since being reinstated from High-A Beloit's 7-day injured list Tuesday.

Arquette missed the first month of the season after undergoing core muscle surgery in late February. The 22-year-old infielder has returned to Beloit after posting a .673 OPS at High-A in his first professional season in 2025, but Arquette's hot start could put him in line for a quick promotion to Double-A Pensacola.

The Yankees released DeJong on Friday after he exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The opportunity for DeJong at the major-league level wasn't there, so he will seek employment elsewhere. DeJong has slashed .203/.361/.516 with six home runs and a 16:18 BB:K in 23 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. The veteran infielder should draw interest from other teams, but he might have to accept another minor-league deal.

Schmitt went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a triple during a 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Phillies in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader. He was also hit by a pitch.

After going 2-for-4 with an RBI in the matinee, Schmitt recorded another multi-hit effort in the nightcap. He singled in the third inning, tripled in the fifth and was hit by a pitch in the ninth, scoring in the latter two frames. The 27-year-old has been one of the Giants' most consistent hitters this season and is now slashing .301/.353/.538 with 14 RBI, 12 runs scored, four long balls and a stolen base across 102 plate appearances.