MLB Player News

Thomas went 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBI, a run scored and two walks in Tuesday's 16-12 victory over the Mets.

Thomas was a driving force in Tuesday's offensive onslaught, belting a pair of doubles that both drove in two runs as part of a three-hit effort. The outfielder is riding a five-game hitting streak and is slashing .355/.429/.645 with a homer, six doubles, seven RBI, six runs and a stolen base over his past eight games. Overall, Thomas is hitting .232/.341/.379 with six homers, 13 doubles, 29 RBI, 25 runs and four stolen bases across 77 contests.

Springer will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup in Wednesday's game against the Giants.

Toronto reinstated Springer from the family medical emergency list Monday, but he was held out of the lineup for the club's first two games of its series in San Francisco. Springer will return to the lineup for the finale in what will be his first start since June 30, and he'll bat somewhere other than the leadoff spot for the first time all season while manager John Schneider sticks with Ernie Clement atop the batting order for the third straight contest. The arrangement won't necessarily be a permanent one, but slotting behind Vladimir Guerrero in the order could prove beneficial for Springer, who has struggled to a .221/.308/.373 batting line over 276 plate appearances on the season.

Pasquantino (hand) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in a rehab game with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.

Pasquantino began his rehab assignment after undergoing surgery in mid-June to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right hand. The first baseman wasted little time making an impact, lining an RBI single in the first inning. Barring a setback over his next few appearances with Triple-A Omaha, Pasquantino is on track to return to the Royals immediately following the All-Star break.

Keys is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest in San Francisco.

Keys started the previous seven games and contributed two hits and two RBI in Tuesday's victory, but he'll get some rest during Wednesday's series finale. With George Springer ready to rejoin the Blue Jays' lineup, Keys could see his playing time dip moving forward.

Verlander (hamstring/hip) announced Wednesday via social media that he will retire following the 2026 season.

Verlander addressed his playing future in a statement after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced earlier Wednesday that the 43-year-old had been named a "Legend Pick" for the 2026 All-Star Game. The veteran right-hander will be honored in Philadelphia next week after being selected to his 10th All-Star Game, but he won't be active for the exhibition while he remains on the 60-day injured list after sustaining a left hamstring injury during a June 17 bullpen session. Verlander -- who was placed on the shelf April 4 due to hip inflammation -- has since resumed playing catch, but he's without a clear timeline to return from the IL. He'll look to move past his injuries over the next few weeks and attempt to make at least a few more appearances for Detroit before the end of the season as he closes the book on a 21-year Hall-of-Fame career. Verlander is the majors' active leader in games started (556), wins (266) and strikeouts (3,554).

Bowman signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Wednesday.

Bowman will report to Triple-A St. Paul as he kicks off his third stint with the Twins of 2026. The veteran reliever initially signed a minor-league deal with Minnesota in January before opting out of his contract ahead of Opening Day, and then re-signed with the Twins shortly thereafter before opting out of his contract again in May. He had most recently been pitching in the Blue Jays organization, turning in a 10.38 ERA and 1.59 WHIP across 8.2 innings over nine appearances at Triple-A Buffalo before being released over the weekend.

Elko (knee) has been cleared to begin a rehab assignment with High-A Winston-Salem, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.

Elko underwent surgery last October to repair a torn ACL in his right knee and is finally ready to test out his rebuilt knee in games. The 27-year-old should eventually be assigned to Triple-A Charlotte, where he will give the White Sox organizational depth at first base. Elko is no longer on Chicago's 40-man roster, having been non-tendered over the winter before re-signing on a minor-league contract.

Blanco (elbow) struck out two over two perfect innings in a rehab appearance Tuesday with Triple-A Sugar Land.

After throwing 60 pitches and 4.1 innings in his third rehab outing last Wednesday with Double-A Corpus Christi, Blanco tossed 27 pitches (18 strikes) over two frames Tuesday before the game was called after the seventh inning due to inclement weather. While it's possible that Blanco was able to do some additional throwing in the locker room or bullpen to build on his workload, the abbreviated appearance could take him out of consideration to return from the 60-day injured list and fill the open spot in the Houston rotation this Sunday at Texas. If Blanco instead makes another rehab appearance later this weekend and if the Astros are satisfied with the quality of his stuff and his velocity, he'll likely be cleared to come off the IL following the All-Star break.

McCullers (shoulder) struck out four and allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks across four innings in a rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Sugar Land.

In the third start of his rehab assignment, McCullers covered four innings for a second outing in a row, though he was able to push his pitch count up to 77 (43 strikes) after tossing 60 pitches in his previous appearance for Sugar Land. Though he wasn't as sharp Tuesday as he had been his previous two times out, McCullers has still fared well overall during his minor-league assignment, posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB in 11 innings. The next steps for McCullers remain unclear; though the veteran right-hander is stretched back out, Astros general manager Dana Brown didn't mention him as a candidate to fill the since-demoted Mike Burrows' spot in the rotation the next time it comes up Sunday against the Rangers, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. With that in mind, McCullers may be headed for another rehab appearance Sunday before returning from the 15-day injured list following the All-Star break and potentially handling a bullpen role.

Sands (forearm) tossed a perfect inning in his rehab appearance with Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.

Initially placed on the injured list May 2 due to a right forearm strain, Sands was cleared to start a rehab assignment in early June but was pulled off of it after experiencing a setback following his lone appearance. Just over a month later, Sands was able to complete a throwing program and gain clearance to restart the minor-league assignment, and the results from his first outing on the farm were encouraging. He averaged 93.7 mph with his four-seam fastball Tuesday, just over a half-tick above his season average (93.0) over his 12 appearances with the Twins prior to landing on the shelf. Sands could be ready to rejoin the Minnesota bullpen following the All-Star break.