MLB Player News

Naylor is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies.

The left-handed-hitting Naylor started Sunday in the Guardians' previous matchup with a lefty starter (the Royals' Noah Cameron), but he'll retreat to the bench for the series finale with the Rockies while southpaw Kyle Freeland takes the hill for Colorado. Austin Hedges will handle catching duties for Cleveland.

Ramirez (undisclosed) started at designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Single-A Columbia's 9-6 win over Fredericksburg on Tuesday after being reinstated from the 7-day injured list.

Though he handled a non-defensive role in his first game with Columbia since May 31, Ramirez made five starts at catcher during his rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, so he appears to have made a full recovery from the injury that kept him on the shelf for nearly two months. For the season, Ramirez is slashing .252/.367/.466 with nine home runs and five stolen bases in 45 games for Columbia.

Triple-A Columbus placed Nikhazy on the 7-day injured list Wednesday due to a left elbow impingement.

It's not clear how long Nikhazy's elbow has been bothering him, but he's allowed 15 runs (14 earned) over 10.1 innings in his three starts with Columbus this month. The left-hander is without a clear timeline to return to action for the Triple-A club.

The Guardians activated Stephan (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday.

Stephan was one of the Guardians' most-trusted relievers in 2022 and 2023, but he's struggled during his rehab assignment while coming back from his March 2024 UCL surgery, posting an 11.81 ERA over 10.2 innings across stops with three affiliates. He can still make an impact with the big club later this season, but the Guardians will need Stephan to hone his command at Triple-A before giving him another look in the majors.

The Mariners recalled Locklear from Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday.

Locklear has been mashing this season with Tacoma, sporting a .316/.401/.543 batting line with 19 home runs and 17 stolen bases over 97 games. With Josh Naylor manning first base, Locklear's best chance at playing time would be if the Mariners open up the designated-hitter spot by shifting Jorge Polanco to second base on a permanent basis. The right-handed-hitting Locklear could also occupy the short side of a platoon with the left-handed-hitting Naylor, who has produced a 94 wRC+ versus southpaws on the season.

The Mariners placed Raley on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with back spasms.

Raley had been dealing with the injury for a few days, and after he made limited improvement, the Mariners decided to deactivate him. He will be eligible to return Aug. 6, but it's not clear whether Raley will be ready to go on that date. Tyler Locklear was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Raley on the 26-man active roster.

Wells (elbow) threw two perfect innings in Wednesday's rehab start for Double-A Chesapeake. He struck out one.

Wells made quick work of the opposition, smoothly sailing through two frames while tossing 15 of his 22 pitches for strikes. Tuesday marked the 30-year-old right-hander's first game action since April of last year, and he's entering the final stages of his recovery from UCL surgery. Wells will almost certainly require several more rehab outings before becoming an option for Baltimore's pitching staff.

The Angels designated Quijada for assignment Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The move frees up a spot on the 26-man active roster and 40-man roster after the Angels acquired relievers Luis Garcia and Andrew Chafin from the Nationals on Wednesday. Quijada had tossed 1.1 scoreless frames covering two relief appearances with the Halos.

Gusto is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Nationals in Houston.

Gusto will pick up a second straight start, despite being roughed up for eight earned runs in 3.1 innings in his return to the rotation last week against the Athletics following three consecutive relief appearances. The right-hander could be headed back to the bullpen in short order, as the Astros could bring aboard another starter prior to Thursday's trade deadline, and several other injured rotation candidates are in the midst of rehab assignments and could be activated within the next couple of weeks.

Trammell is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals.

The left-handed-hitting Trammell picked up starts in each of the last three contests, but he'll retreat to the bench while the Nationals send southpaw MacKenzie Gore to the bump for the series finale. Until Houston gets one or both of Jake Meyers (calf) and Yordan Alvarez (hand) back from the injured list, Trammell should have a good chance at retaining a regular spot in the outfield when the Astros face right-handed pitching.