MLB Player News

India is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Nationals.

India will get his first day off since July 30 after slashing just .182/.308/.303 through the Royals' first nine games of August. With India on the bench, Adam Frazier will start at second base and Randal Grichuk will serve as the Royals' designated hitter.

The Red Sox optioned Murphy to Triple-A Worcester on Monday.

Murphy spent the first three months on the injured list while completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery before being activated in late June. Over 14 appearances out of the Boston bullpen, Murphy submitted a 3.05 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 19:10 K:BB in 20.2 innings while being used mainly in lower-leverage spots. His demotion likely has less to do with his performance than it does Boston's desire to bring in a fresh arm, as Murphy had pitched three of the past five days while covering three innings in total. Boston called up left-hander Jovani Moran from Triple-A to replace Murphy in the bullpen.

Witt (back) will start at shortstop and bat second in Monday's game against the Nationals.

Witt sat out Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Twins due to back stiffness, but the day off was apparently all the superstar shortstop needed to move past the issue ahead of Monday's series opener. The 25-year-old is batting just .226 thus far in August, but he's still provided two home runs, two stolen bases, five RBI and five runs over that eight-game stretch.

Vargas (oblique) took batting practice Monday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Vargas relayed after the workout that he didn't feel hindered by his left oblique strain and said that he hopes to be activated from the 10-day injured list without going on a rehab assignment first. That decision will be up to the White Sox, but the team could grant Vargas' request since the 25-year-old has missed just over a week of action thus far. If Vargas does bypass a rehab assignment, he could return for this weekend's series in Kansas City.

The Red Sox optioned Hamilton to Triple-A Worcester on Monday.

After being called up from Triple-A on July 25, Hamilton appeared in just eight games for Boston and was deployed mainly as a pinch runner or defensive replacement late in contests. Hamilton should get the chance to play regularly upon returning to Worcester.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that he does not expect Judge to play the outfield during the team's series versus the Twins that runs through Wednesday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Boone indicated Sunday that Judge should be ready to play the outfield soon, and while that presumably is still the case, it won't come early this week. Judge has been limited to designated hitter duty since returning from a flexor strain last week. Judge's inability to play the field has limited Giancarlo Stanton's playing time, although Stanton is getting a start in right field Monday.

Keith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The White Sox are having right-hander Elvis Peguero open the game, but since lefty Tyler Alexander is expected to work in bulk relief behind him, the left-handed-hitting Keith will retreat to the bench for the series opener in Chicago. With Keith exiting the starting nine, Kerry Carpenter will serve as the Tigers' designated hitter and Andy Ibanez will start at third base.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Yarbrough (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, the Yankees signed off on Yarbrough beginning a rehab assignment after he threw two simulated innings of live batting practice Monday without issue. Yarbrough has been sidelined since late June with a right oblique strain, and he'll likely be in line for a longer buildup as he aims to regain stamina following his extended absence. The Yankees are likely to have Yarbrough get stretched out for a starting role during his rehab program, though it's unclear if the southpaw will have a rotation spot waiting for him once he's activated from the 15-day injured list.

Perez (foot) will start in right field and bat third in Monday's game against the White Sox, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Perez was removed from Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Angels after fouling a ball off his right foot, but he was fortunate to avoid any structural damage. The Tigers still held him out of the lineup for Sunday's 9-5 win while he contended with some bruising and swelling, but he's ready to go as Detroit kicks off a three-game set in Chicago on Monday. Perez has wielded a hot bat thus far in August, posting a 1.231 OPS through his first eight games of the month.

Baez and Wenceel Perez are candidates to see more time in center field in the short term with Matt Vierling recently getting shut down with an oblique strain and Parker Meadows (quad) already on the injured list, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

While Meadows could be back within the next few weeks, the Tigers are worried that Vierling may miss the rest of the regular season. With both players out for the foreseeable future, Baez could see a larger role in center field. The veteran has primarily played the infield throughout his MLB career, though he's seen action in center for the first time in the majors this year, appearing in 37 games there to date. Baez's defensive versatility has been a big asset for him in 2025, and it appears he'll receive a slight bump in playing time as Detroit deals with some injuries.