MLB Player News

McCormick is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against Tampa Bay, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

McCormick will sit for the second straight game Saturday with Pedro Leon set to make his major-league debut in right field against Rays right-hander Zack Littell. Since the All-Star break, McCormick has gone 6-for-20 with one home run and two RBI.

Leon is starting in right field and batting ninth against the Rays on Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Leon was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday to take the spot of the departing Joey Loperfido, who was sent to the Blue Jays as part of the trade package for southpaw Yusei Kikuchi. Leon took the leap with Sugar Land this season, and in 93 games he was slashing .297/.377/.519 with 23 stolen bases, 21 doubles, 19 home runs and 74 RBI across 424 plate appearances. The 26-year-old will get his first taste of major-league action against Tampa Bay right-hander Zack Littell.

Sheets is absent from the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Minnesota.

Sheets will begin Saturday's contest in the dugout after going 0-for-4 with one strikeout in Friday's 10-2 loss to Minnesota. Andrew Benintendi will serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober.

Lopez is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Twins.

Lopez will sit for a second straight game Saturday after starting five straight. Brooks Baldwin will start at shortstop and bat second against Minnesota right-hander Bailey Ober.

Meadows (hamstring) was activated off the injured list Saturday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Meadows has been out since early July due to a strained right hamstring. He appeared in four rehab games earlier this week, going 3-for-14 with one double, one RBI and two walks. Across his 35 major-league games this season, Meadows is slashing .131/.247/.286 with four stolen bases, three home runs and five RBI in 97 plate appearances. He's starting in center field and batting seventh against the Royals on Saturday, per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News.

Langford is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Boston.

Langford will begin Saturday's contest in the dugout after going 0-for-3 with one walk and one strikeout in Friday's 11-6 loss to Boston. Ezequiel Duran will start in left field and bat seventh against Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck.

Garcia is starting in right field and batting fifth against the Red Sox on Saturday.

Garcia got the day off Friday after starting in the previous 19 games. Since the All-Star break, the 31-year-old has slashed .200/.245/.280 with two stolen bases, one home run and nine RBI across 53 plate appearances. Garcia will face off against Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck.

Holton will serve as the Tigers' opening pitcher in Saturday's game against the Royals, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Saturday will mark the fifth time this season that Holton has drawn the opener assignment. In his last appearance as an opener against the Guardians on Tuesday, Holton threw 2.2 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits while striking out one batter. Joey Wentz worked an inning of relief in Friday's contest against Kansas City, so Kenta Maeda appears most likely serve in bulk relief, as he did July 28 against the Twins, once Holton is done for the day.

The Astros outrighted Montero to Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday.

After he was designated for assignment Wednesday, Montero unsurprisingly went unclaimed off waivers, given that he's in the second season of a three-year, $34.5 million contract. Montero would have forfeited the money remaining on the contract had he elected free agency, so he'll stick around in the Houston organization and look to impress at Sugar Land with the hope of earning another look in the big-league bullpen. The 33-year-old had appeared in 41 games for the Astros this season, registering 10 holds with a 4.70 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 23:19 K:BB across 38.1 innings.

Bradford is expected to start Saturday's game against the Red Sox, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Bradford and Dane Dunning had been in the running to fill the gap in Texas' rotation Saturday, and it will officially be the former on the mound to start the game after Dunning made a relief appearance during Friday's contest. Bradford owns a 3.38 ERA and 0.84 WHIP through 21.1 innings in the majors this season; however, he was lit up for five earned runs in just two frames during his last outing Tuesday.