MLB Player News

Walls is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Walls will get a breather Wednesday after he had started in each of the previous three games while going 1-for-10 at the dish, bringing his average down to a lowly .148 for the season. Jose Caballero will step in at shortstop for Walls, who is still valued for his defense even though the metrics are not exactly glowing in that regard this season. Walls should be considered at risk of moving into more of a utility role if he's unable to start offering more production at the plate.

Rortvedt is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rortvedt had started at catcher in each of the Rays' last three games, so his absence Wednesday is most likely a maintenance day. Alex Jackson gets the nod behind the plate.

Pivetta will have his next start skipped and won't pitch this weekend against the Astros as previously scheduled in order to provide him some extra rest, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The right-hander isn't dealing with an injury, but he's failed to cover five frames in two of his past three starts and has given up 13 runs (12 earned) in those three outings. Pivetta averaged 91.9 mph with his fastball during his previous start Sunday at Texas, which is down a couple ticks from his season average of 94.1 mph. The 31-year-old could be reinserted into the rotation next week for a rematch versus the Rangers.

Loperfido is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

After beginning his Blue Jays tenure with five consecutive starts, the lefty-hitting Loperfido will hit the bench while the Orioles send southpaw Trevor Rogers to the bump. Davis Schneider will spell Loperfido in left field Wednesday.

The Red Sox placed O'Neill (illness) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to an infection in his lower left leg, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The 29-year-old hasn't seen the field since Aug. 2 due to a stomach virus, but he'll now require a stint on the injured list due to a leg infection. O'Neill will be eligible to return during the middle of next week, and the Red Sox expect him to be available at that point.

Jimenez will start at designated hitter and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Jimenez was widely expected to fill the short side platoon of a platoon at DH when the Orioles acquired him from the White Sox on July 30, but the 27-year-old appears to have pushed his way into a near-everyday role, at least while he's swinging a hot bat. He'll be picking up his fourth consecutive start -- including his third in a row against a right-hander (Bowden Francis) -- after going 6-for-12 with a double and two RBI to begin his tenure with the Orioles. Meanwhile, the lefty-hitting Cedric Mullins will head to the bench for the second game in a row.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday that Rodriguez has been diagnosed with a mild right lat strain, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Rodriguez was placed on the injured list earlier Wednesday due to what was labeled as "discomfort," but the team has now confirmed the right-hander suffered a strain following an MRI. Hyde added that he is optimistic about Rodriguez returning to the rotation relatively quickly, though the 24-year-old remains without an official timeline. Albert Suarez, who started in Rodriguez's place Tuesday against the Blue Jays, is the most likely option to fill the void in the Orioles rotation.

Hamilton is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Royals, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The left-handed-hitting Hamilton will defer to the right-handed-hitting Romy Gonzalez at second base as the Royals send southpaw Cole Ragans to the hill. Hamilton will take a seat for the Red Sox's sixth straight matchup with a lefty.

Smith is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest in Kansas City, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

With southpaw Cole Ragans on the bump for the Royals, the left-handed-hitting Smith will take a seat. Connor Wong will get a start at first base in place of Smith.

Abreu is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game in Kansas City, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

A tough lefty in Cole Ragans is toeing the slab for the Royals, so the lefty-hitting Abreu will begin Wednesday's contest on the bench. Rob Refsnyder will cover right field and bat second for the Red Sox.