MLB Player News

Vivas is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.

Vivas will take a seat for the fifth time in eight games, with two of those absences coming against right-handed pitching. Oswald Peraza appears to have supplanted Vivas as the Yankees' preferred option at third base, and the latter could be at risk of a demotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the near future with Jazz Chisholm (oblique) close to a return from the injured list.

Bellinger is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.

Bellinger had started in each of the Yankees' last seven games, but he went just 6-for-27 (.222 average) during that stretch and now finds himself on the bench Sunday. With Bellinger sitting, the Yankees will roll out a starting outfield of Jasson Dominguez, Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge from left to right.

Manager Mark Kotsay said after Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays that Andujar (oblique) is likely to be placed on the injured list, Jessica Kleinschmidt of Baseball America reports.

The 30-year-old was removed during the fifth inning of Sunday's contest due to oblique discomfort, and he's expected to be sidelined for at least the next 10 days. Andujar is scheduled to undergo medical imaging Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

Houser (1-1) took the loss Sunday against the Orioles, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk over 6.1 innings. He struck out six.

While Houser saw his season-opening scoreless streak end at 14 innings, the right-hander did deliver a third straight quality start in the eventual 3-2 defeat. Through his first 18.1 innings with the White Sox, Houser has posted a 1.47 ERA with a 0.98 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB, solidifying his spot in the rotation. Houser is currently lined up to face the Royals at home in his next outing.

Baker earned the save in Sunday's 3-2 win over the White Sox, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.

With both Felix Bautista and Seranthony Dominguez seemingly unavailable, Baker was tasked with protecting a one-run lead in the ninth inning Sunday. The right-hander made quick work of the White Sox, needing just 13 pitches to pick up his first save this season. The 30-year-old Baker has been solid in a setup role this year, posting a 2.77 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP and 33 strikeouts across 26 innings.

Morton (2-7) earned the win Sunday against the White Sox, allowing one unearned run on six hits and a walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out seven.

After a dreadful start to the year that resulted in a demotion to the bullpen, Morton's turned in back-to-back wins and quality starts since returning to the Baltimore rotation, and he's allowed three runs (two earned) while striking out 12 over 12.2 innings in that span. The veteran right-hander lowered his ERA to 6.20 with a 1.58 WHIP and 52:27 K:BB across 53.2 innings this season. Morton will look to keep it going in his next outing, currently scheduled for next week on the road against the A's.

Chapman earned the save in Sunday's 3-1 win over Atlanta, logging a strikeout and a walk in a scoreless ninth inning.

Chapman has allowed just one run while striking out 10 in his last eight innings, and he improved to 9-for-10 in save chances this season. Overall, the 37-year-old southpaw sports a 1.88 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and 32:9 K:BB across 24 innings this year.

Crochet (5-4) earned the win Sunday against Atlanta, allowing one run on five hits and two walks across seven innings. He struck out 12.

Crochet was dominant Sunday, allowing just a solo home run to Marcell Ozuna in the first inning before blanking Atlanta over his final six frames while recording a season-high 12 strikeouts. The 25-year-old Crochet has held opponents to two runs or fewer in 12 of his 13 outings this season. His ERA is down to 1.98 with a 1.06 WHIP and 101 strikeouts, tied with MacKenzie Gore for the MLB lead, across 82 innings this season. Crochet will have a tough test in his next outing, currently scheduled as a road matchup with the rival Yankees.

Smith went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, a double, a stolen base and four total RBI in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Cardinals.

Smith got the Rangers on the board in the second inning with a two-run double, putting Texas ahead 2-1, before bookending the scoring with a homer off Roddery Munoz in the eighth. The long ball was his fifth of the year and extended the lead to 8-1. It was the first multi-hit game since May 14 for the 27-year-old Smith -- he'd gone just 5-for-45 (.111) with a .313 OPS in 13 contests prior to Sunday. Overall, Smith is slashing .269/.340/.409 with 20 runs scored, 16 RBI and seven stolen bases through 192 plate appearances this season.

The Rangers are expected to activate Carter (quadriceps) from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's series opener at Tampa Bay, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Carter is nearing the finish line in his recovery from a Grade 2 right quad strain, which sent him to the IL on May 18. He was cleared to head out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock this weekend and has gone 0-for-6 with a walk and an RBI in his first two games while making one start in center field and one at designated hitter. Before getting hurt, Carter had briefly been handling an everyday role in the Texas outfield, but he may not be guaranteed steady playing time once he's activated. Rookie Alejandro Osuna has gotten on base at a .476 clip since getting called up from Round Rock on May 25, and the Rangers may find it difficult to justify taking him out of the lineup to clear a spot for Carter.