MLB Player News

The Athletics recalled Barnett from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Barnett is grabbing the roster spot vacated by the injured J.T. Ginn (finger). He's also a candidate to take Ginn's rotation spot even though all 13 of his appearances in the majors this season have been in relief. Barnett has made 10 starts in 2026 with Las Vegas, posting a 4.34 ERA and 42:26 K:BB over 45.2 frames.

The Athletics placed Ginn on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a blister on his right middle finger.

Though the injury appears to be a minor concern for Ginn that could allow him to return from the shelf when first eligible Aug. 3, it's nonetheless a frustrating development after he had delivered a gem of an outing his last time out Saturday. In that start, Ginn improved to 8-6 on the season and lowered his ERA to 3.46 and his WHIP to 1.22 while striking out seven batters and limiting the Nationals to one hit and three walks across 6.1 innings. The Athletics recalled righty Mason Barnett from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move, and he could be a candidate to enter the rotation the next time Ginn's turn comes up this weekend in Minnesota.

The Royals designated Misner for assignment Wednesday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Nate Pearson. Misner has slashed just .206/.259/.312 with a 34.8 percent strikeout rate across parts of three major-league seasons, but the 28-year-old could draw interest via waivers from a team seeking outfield depth.

The Royals acquired Pearson from the Astros on Wednesday in exchange for Max Martin.

Pearson had been designated for assignment by Houston, but he will now join a 40-man roster in a new organization. The hard-throwing righty holds a 3.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 16:12 K:BB in 20 innings in the majors this season. Pearson does not have any minor-league options remaining, so he will join the Royals' bullpen.

Jung said after being removed from Tuesday's game versus the White Sox with left calf tightness that he expects to be OK, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

While the injury looks to be minor, the Rangers weren't going to be taking any chances given Jung's history of calf issues. With the Rangers being idle Thursday, there's a chance Jung will be held out of Wednesday's lineup. The club might have more information on their third baseman's condition pregame.

Basallo (shoulder) is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Red Sox, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Basallo will be on the bench for a second straight game due to right shoulder discomfort, but the Orioles are classifying him as day-to-day, and he remains optimistic that he'll avoid a stint on the injured list. With the Red Sox expected to send a lefty starter (Ranger Suarez) to the bump for the second game of the twin bill, it wouldn't be surprising if the Orioles continued to keep the left-handed-hitting Basallo out of the lineup for the nightcap. According to Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com, manager Craig Albernaz said Wednesday that Basallo is trending in the right direction, but acknowledged that "it's going to be a TBD thing" regarding whether the backstop will be available for either game of doubleheader.

Tolbert is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants.

Tolbert filled in at shortstop for an injured Bobby Witt (back) during Tuesday's 3-2 win, going 0-for-3 while committing an error. Though Witt was moved to the 10-day injured list Wednesday, the Royals will instead go with new call-up Andrew Velazquez at shortstop over Tolbert in the series finale. Given that Tolbert has produced an excellent .328/.364/.443 slash line over 69 plate appearances on the season, he could still be a better bet than Velazquez to serve as Witt's primary replacement for the duration of his IL stint.

Rojas will start at third base and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Giants.

Rojas will cover third base for the third time in the past four games and could be making a push past Nick Loftin on the depth chart as the top option at the position while Maikel Garcia (hand) remains on the shelf. Over his last five contests, Rojas has gone 6-for-17 with a double, two runs and an RBI, but he's slashing an unremarkable .237/.256/.368 overall since being promoted from Triple-A Omaha on June 23.

Loftin is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Giants.

Loftin has been seeing the bulk of the reps at third base since Maikel Garcia (hand) went down, but he'll take a seat in the series finale. Josh Rojas is at the hot corner for the Royals.

The Royals selected Velazquez's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday. He'll start at shortstop and bat ninth in the Royals' series finale versus the Giants.

The 32-year-old utility player will return to the majors for the first time since the 2023 season, when he appeared in 54 games with the Angels. Velazquez has played both middle-infield positions and all three outfield spots during his time in the minors with the Royals and Diamondbacks organizations this season, but he could end up seeing most of his playing time at shortstop while he's up with Kansas City. He'll enter the starting nine right away at shortstop in place of Bobby Witt (back), who was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday. Along with Velazquez, Tyler Tolbert will also be in the mix for reps at shortstop while Witt is on the shelf.