MLB Player News

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Tucker (shin) remains unable to sprint but has been jogging without issue, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The Astros seem encouraged by Tucker's recent progress from a right shin contusion, but clearly his return is not imminent if he's not yet able to run at full speed. Tucker will continue to rehab in Houston for now rather than joining the major-league club on the road. He's been sidelined since early June.

Torres is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Angels.

Torres had started in each of the Yankees' last 11 games, but he'll get some rest in the first game of the twin bill. Oswaldo Cabrera will get the nod at second base for the early game, but expect Torres to be back in the lineup and man the keystone in the nightcap.

Verdugo (undisclosed) will start in left field and bat leadoff in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Angels.

Prior to Sunday's 4-3 win over Toronto, New York manager Aaron Boone acknowledged that Verdugo was being held out of the lineup due to being banged up, but the Yankees never seemed concerned about the outfielder missing additional time. Verdugo ended up benefiting from three full days to heal up, as the Yankees were off Monday and had Tuesday's series opener postponed. The Yankees could still look to rest Verdugo in the second half of the twin bill, but his inclusion in the lineup for the early game at least indicates that he's feeling healthy.

Stefanic is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Yankees, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

Stefanic had occupied the keystone in four of the Angels' last five games, but his brief run of steady playing time will likely come to an end with the return of Anthony Rendon (back), who was activated from the injured list Tuesday. With Rendon starting at third base in the early game of Wednesday's doubleheader, Brandon Drury will shift from the hot corner to second base while bumping Stefanic back to the bench. The Angels should still have a regular spot in the lineup for Stefanic against left-handed pitching.

The Twins will recall Varland from Triple-A St. Paul to start one of the games during Friday's doubleheader versus the Guardians, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Bailey Ober will also make a start for Minnesota during the twin bill, and the club has not yet made a decision on the order in which the two arms will appear. Varland holds a 1.19 ERA and 27:9 K:BB over 22.2 innings covering his last four starts at St. Paul.

Schuemann is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

For the first time since June 30, Schuemann will exit the starting nine and give way at shortstop to Darell Hernaiz, who was recently reinstated from the injured list. Schuemann took over as the Athletics' everyday shortstop shortly after Hernaiz was placed on the IL in mid-May, and though prospect Jacob Wilson was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on July 19 and was expected to threaten Schuemann's standing atop the depth chart, Wilson strained his hamstring in his MLB debut and went on the IL two days later. While the Athletics have continued to deploy Schuemann near the bottom of the batting order, he's been able to maintain a regular role by getting on base at a .335 clip this season and providing a dash of speed (11 steals in 12 attempts).

Bliss owns a .308 average and .911 OPS with three doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI, five walks, seven stolen bases and seven runs over the 59 plate appearances he's logged with Triple-A Tacoma since being optioned July 22.

Bliss had his moments during his near-two-month-long big-league stint earlier this season, posting a .220 average and .648 OPS across 67 plate appearances over 31 games. The 24-year-old is still striking out a similarly elevated level with the Rainiers -- he sports a 30.5 percent strikeout rate during his current minor-league tenure and produced a 31.3 percent figure in Seattle -- but as his numbers indicate, Bliss is boasting an extremely well-rounded offensive profile while benefiting from the Pacific Coast League's hitter-friendly conditions. There remains a possibility Bliss gets a September promotion, especially considering his defensive versatility.

Langeliers is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

With Wednesday's series finale beginning at 3:37 p.m. ET, Langeliers will get a breather after he caught all nine innings of the Athletics' 5-1 loss Tuesday night. Kyle McCann will pick up a start behind the dish in Langeliers' place.

Stroman's next scheduled start has been pushed back to Sunday against the Rangers as he works through some mechanical issues, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Stroman's next turn would have been Friday, but the Yankees will give him a couple extra days as he irons some things out with his delivery. The right-hander has posted a 7.56 ERA and 1.92 WHIP over his last six starts and lasted just 2.2 innings his last time out versus the Blue Jays. Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole will each move up a day to start on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Fletcher is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.

Fletcher appeared to be headed for a strong-side platoon role in the White Sox outfield after he was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on July 29, but he now finds himself on the bench for the fourth game in a row and the second straight matchup with a right-handed pitcher. Rather than committing to Fletcher in a regular role alongside Luis Robert and Andrew Benintendi, the White Sox have given Gavin Sheets playing time in right field, while the White Sox have rotated a number of different players at designated hitter.