MLB Player News

Rooker went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a win over the Reds on Wednesday.

It was a banner night for the Athletics' offense, and Rooker, its most prodigious power hitter, got in on the fun with a 432-foot shot to left center in the sixth inning to extend Oakland's lead to 3-0. The blast also extended the slugger's on-base streak to eight games, a stretch in which he's hitting only .233 but has completed that figure with a .343 OBP and .467 slugging percentage across 35 plate appearances.

Baldwin is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rangers.

Baldwin also sat out the second game of Wednesday's quasi-doubleheader, so he's technically hitting the bench for a second straight contest. He's slashed only .216/.256/.324 in his first 32 big-league games. Lenyn Sosa will start at second base, and Nicky Lopez will handle shortstop for the White Sox in the series finale.

Littell (shoulder) threw a simulated game Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Manager Kevin Cash confirmed that Littell will not go on a rehab assignment. Assuming Littell's progress continues, he is expected to return to the rotation during the Rays' upcoming homestand, beginning Aug. 30 and ending Sept. 5.

Baz (illness) is expected to start Saturday against the Padres, MLB.com reports.

Baz was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday against the Dodgers, but he played catch Wednesday and is expected to throw a bullpen session Thursday. Assuming the side session goes well, he'll be lined up for a return to the rotation this weekend.

Rogers is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Angels.

Rogers started at catcher both of the past two nights, so he'll be getting a breather Thursday as the Tigers wrap up their series against the Angels with a day game. Dillon Dingler will get the nod behind the plate.

The White Sox optioned Peralta to Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday.

After being recalled from Charlotte on Monday, Peralta made a pair of appearances out of the Chicago bullpen, giving up three earned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three over 4.1 innings. He'll head back to the minors and cede his spot on the 26-man active roster to right-hander Nick Nastrini, who was called up from Triple-A ahead of his scheduled start Thursday versus the Rangers.

The White Sox recalled Nastrini from Triple-A Charlotte ahead of his scheduled start Thursday against the Rangers in Chicago.

Nastrini will make his first appearance for the big club since June 8 after he submitted a 4.89 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 54:35 K:BB across 49.2 innings since returning to Charlotte. The right-hander's numbers were even worse over his six starts with the White Sox earlier this season (8.39 ERA, 1.99 WHIP and 25:19 K:BB in 24.2 innings), rendering Nastrini an unreliable streaming option as he rejoins the White Sox. Nastrini will be entering the White Sox rotation as a replacement for Ky Bush, who was optioned to Triple-A earlier this week.

Vierling is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Angels, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Vierling will get a standard day of rest after starting the last three games and six of the previous seven contests. Zach McKinstry, Parker Meadows and Kerry Carpenter will patrol the outfield, and Riley Greene will occupy the designated-hitter slot as the Tigers try to complete the sweep and extend their winning streak to seven games.

Meyers went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Wednesday against the Phillies.

Meyers drove in two with a double in the fourth inning, and he now has five RBI in his last seven games. He's struggled significantly over a larger sample, as he's hit just .211 with 15 RBI and 10 runs scored across 37 games since the All-Star break. Nevertheless, he remains locked into the starting job in center field for Houston.

Drury is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Drury will get a breather for the day game after a night game, opening up the keystone for Michael Stefanic in the series finale in Detroit. After another hitless effort in Wednesday's 3-2 loss, Drury is now slashing an abysmal .153/.239/.202 over 280 plate appearances. Given Drury's season-long struggles along with the fact that he's scheduled to become a free agent this offseason, the Angels could look to push him into more of a part-time role in September.