MLB Player News

Wallner is absent from the lineup for Friday's game versus the Blue Jays.

The left-handed-hitting Wallner not starting Friday against southpaw Patrick Corbin isn't a surprise, but it's the third time in the last four games that he's been out of the lineup, and the first two occasions came versus righties. Austin Martin is starting in right field Friday and might have leapfrogged Wallner as the preferred option at the position. Wallner is sporting a .559 OPS and an ugly 37.6 percent strikeout rate this season.

Aranda is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Giants, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's just the second day off of the season for Aranda, who has four homers in his past eight games but is batting just .207 with a 33.3 percent strikeout rate during that span. Ryan Vilade is picking up a start at first base Friday for Tampa Bay.

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.

Dominguez (elbow) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Orioles.

Dominguez had to exit the Yankees' last game Wednesday with a left elbow contusion following a hit-by-pitch. He probably wasn't going to start Friday's contest anyway, as the Orioles are expected to start lefty Cade Povich, while the switch-hitting Dominguez is a career .185/.274/.252 hitter versus southpaws. Ben Rice will be at designated hitter, while Paul Goldschmidt will get an opportunity at first base.

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.

Gray (hamstring) is throwing a live batting-practice session Friday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

The right-hander landed on the shelf April 21 with a strained right hamstring, but he was only briefly shut down from throwing and is quickly back to facing live hitters. Gray will be eligible to be reinstated from the injured list next week, and he appears on track to rejoin Boston's rotation after spending close to the 15-day minimum on the shelf.

Nimmo (hamstring) is starting in right field and batting leadoff Friday against the Tigers.

Nimmo departed Wednesday's contest against the Yankees due to right hamstring tightness, but it was apparently a minor issue given that he's back in the starting nine after Thursday's team off day. The veteran outfielder has enjoyed a strong start to the season, finishing April with four homers, 12 RBI, 14 runs and a .290/.364/.460 slash line in 31 games.

The Red Sox recalled Bennett from Triple-A Worcester on Friday.

Bennett is set to make his major-league debut Friday with a start against the Astros. The left-hander is filling the rotation spot vacated by Garrett Crochet (shoulder) and could earn additional turns with Sonny Gray (hamstring) also sidelined. Acquired from the Nationals over the offseason, Bennett has yielded just three runs (two earned) with a 16:3 K:BB over his first 21 innings with Worcester this season.

Diaz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Athletics.

Diaz cracked his first homer of the season to the opposite field in the eighth inning to cut into the Royals' deficit, though they were unable to complete a comeback. The 35-year-old has seen limited playing time since being called up April 19 to serve as the team's third catcher but has produced when called upon, going 4-for-11 (.364) with a homer, two doubles, three RBI, two runs and a walk across four games.

Marte went 3-for-4 with an RBI and was caught stealing in Thursday's 6-3 loss against the Athletics.

With left-hander Jeffrey Springs (hip) starting for the Athletics, Marte was inserted into Thursday's lineup and came through with his first multi-hit effort of the season. The veteran opened the scoring in the first inning with an opposite-field single to plate Maikel Garcia. Marte has handled a limited role as a short-side platoon option for the Royals but has produced when called upon, as evidenced by a .303 batting average. The 37-year-old has yet to draw a walk or show much power across 35 plate appearances, however.