MLB Player News

Kuroda-Grauer will start at shortstop and bat fifth in Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Kuroda-Grauer will stick in the starting nine for a sixth straight game since receiving a promotion from Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, this time covering shortstop after making his previous three starts at third base and the two before that at the keystone. With Zack Gelof (hand) coming back from the injured list Saturday and potentially settling in as the Athletics' primary option at the hot corner, shortstop could represent Kuroda-Grauer's clearest path to playing time until Jacob Wilson (thumb) is ready to be activated. The Athletics will send Alika Williams to the bench to open up shortstop for Kuroda-Grauer, who has gotten off to a hot start to his big-league career by going 8-for-18 with two doubles, three runs and one RBI.

Williams is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Williams will move to the bench for the series finale after he had started at shortstop in the Athletics' last nine games while going 9-for-32 (.281 average) with a home run and a 1:12 BB:K. The Athletics will go with Joshua Kuroda-Grauer at shortstop after the 23-year-old has opened his time in the big leagues by going 8-for-18 with an RBI and three runs through his first five games. Williams is regarded as the better defender of the two, but Kuroda-Grauer brings more offensive upside to the table and could emerge as the preferred option at shortstop until Jacob Wilson (thumb) is ready to return from the injured list.

Cortes will start in left field and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Marlins.

After going 4-for-8 with a double and two runs over the first two contests of the series, Cortes will be rewarded with a third straight start. He hadn't made any starts in the Athletics' 11 contests before that while he finished June in the midst of a 2-for-33 skid at the plate, but Cortes looks like he'll have a pathway to more consistent playing time after Tyler Soderstrom (hip) recently joined Brent Rooker (knee) on the injured list. Max Muncy and Colby Thomas loom as Cortes' main challengers for reps against right-handed pitching, but both Muncy and Thomas have started in just one of the Athletics' three games versus Miami.

Chisholm was diagnosed with right big toe discomfort after leaving Sunday's game against the Twins and having X-rays come back negative.

The second baseman went 1-for-2 and was caught stealing before departing Sunday's contest prior to the sixth inning. Chisholm appears to have avoided a serious injury, so he should be considered day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener at Tampa Bay.

Canzone is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

Canzone started the previous three games but will hit the bench Sunday after going 3-for-11 with two walks, a homer, three RBI and two total runs during that span. Cal Raleigh will rest his legs as the designated hitter while Mitch Garver starts behind the plate in the series finale.

Bradish (5-9) took the loss Sunday against the Reds, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over 7.2 innings. He struck out five.

Bradish pitched well Sunday, as he held the Reds to two runs on Spencer Steer's fifth-inning homer before giving up another run on a two-out hit in the eighth. However, Baltimore failed to provide Bradish with enough run support in an eventual 3-2 defeat. The right-hander has now dropped back-to-back starts, though he's given up just seven earned runs across 27.1 innings in his last four outings. Overall, Bradish's ERA sits at 3.75 with a 1.40 WHIP and 101:48 K:BB across 18 starts (100.2 innings) this season. He's tentatively in line to face the Royals at home his next time out.

Chisholm went 1-for-2 before being removed prior to the sixth inning of Sunday's game against the Twins due to an unspecified issue, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

The Yankees should provide word later Sunday regarding what prompted Chisholm's removal from the game, but he appeared to be in some discomfort after fouling off a pitch in his fifth-inning at-bat before ultimately flying out to right field. Jose Caballero shifted over from third base to replace Chisholm at second base in the top of the sixth.

Allen will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Rays.

Since coming off the 10-day injured list Monday, Allen has drawn starts in five of Houston's ensuing six games while going 3-for-14 with a double, two walks, two runs and one RBI. Per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Astros manager Joe Espada said prior to Sunday's game that he anticipates top shortstop Jeremy Pena (calf) returning from the IL as soon as next Friday, so Allen's run as a regular in the lineup will soon come to an end.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays.

He'll rest up for the series finale after logging starts behind the plate in each of the Astros' previous four games. Christian Vazquez will serve as Houston's catcher Sunday.

Walls is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.

Walls will get a breather after he went 10-for-36 (.278 average) with one stolen base, nine runs and two RBI while starting in the Rays' previous 11 games. Ben Williamson will replace Walls at shortstop and will bat sixth in the series finale.