MLB Player News

Sheets (heel) is serving as the designated hitter and batting in the cleanup spot for Saturday's game against the Rockies.

Sheets returns to the starting lineup Saturday after missing the last two games due to a bruised left heel he sustained Wednesday against the Dodgers. The 28-year-old lefty pinch hit in the bottom of the sixth inning of Friday's 5-3 win over Colorado, reaching base on an intentional walk in his only at-bat. For the month of June, Sheets is slashing .257/.321/.419 with three home runs and nine RBI over 74 at-bats.

The Blue Jays designated Mayza for assignment Saturday.

Mayza allowed five runs to score without recording an out during Friday's loss to the Yankees, inflating his ERA to 8.03 through 24.2 innings -- a far cry from his 1.52 ERA last season. The 32-year-old southpaw's drastic regression has now cost him his spot on the Jays' 40-man roster, though he could still receive some attention on the waiver wire from bullpen-needy teams hoping to unlock Mayza's previous form. Jose Cuas was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to fill the open spot in Toronto's bullpen.

Jones went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI in Friday's 16-5 victory versus the Blue Jays.

Jones was plugged into the No. 9 spot in the order while serving as the team's designated hitter in his third start over New York's past four games. The 26-year-old responded with his first multi-hit game of the campaign -- in fact, his three knocks Friday equaled the amount of hits he had collected over his previous 18 plate appearances coming into the contest. Jones has been used mostly as a pinch runner and defensive replacement this season, though he could continue to see more opportunities in the short term while Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) remains on the injured list.

Taveras went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and an RBI in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Orioles.

Taveras had a bases-loaded walk and swiped his ninth bag in the loss. He's set up for a fourth consecutive season of double-digit steals. The outfielder was having a brutal month, but he's finishing June on an upswing. After enduring a 2-for-45 (.044) stretch over 14 games, Taveras has hit safely in seven of the subsequent 10 contests, going 9-for-29 (.310) with three steals, a home run, five RBI and an additional three runs scored.

The Blue Jays recalled Cuas from Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.

The Jays claimed Cuas off waivers from the Cubs on Sunday, and he'll now join the big-league club to give the team a fresh arm in its bullpen. The 30-year-old owns a 7.43 ERA and 1.65 WHIP through 13.1 innings in the majors this season, and he allowed two runs in just two-thirds of an inning during his most recent Triple-A outing, so it's unlikely he receives much more than mop-up duty while with Toronto. Tim Mayza was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Judge went 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI in a 16-5 win against the Blue Jays on Friday.

It was unusual for Judge rack up three hits without any going for extra bases -- coming into Friday, 54 of his 88 hits on the season had been of the extra-base variety. Nonetheless, the slugger's ninth-inning, two-run single resulted in a sixth game with at least one RBI over his past 10 contests. Judge has been red hot over that stretch, slashing .382/.462/.853 with five home runs, 16 RBI and nine runs scored.

Torres went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Friday's 16-5 rout of Toronto.

Torres was held out of action Wednesday and Thursday following a prolonged slump, and the time off appeared to serve him well. The second baseman contributed to the team's offensive explosion Friday with a two-run blast in the sixth inning and a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Torres finished with his first multi-hit game in over a month -- he hadn't accomplished that feat since going 2-for-4 against San Diego on May 26.

Altuve went 2-for-5 with a double and a solo home run Friday against the Mets.

Altuve recorded his fourth consecutive multi-hit game and has maintained a .337 average across 23 games in June. His power has picked up of late, as he's now popped three homers in his last 10 starts while also swiping four bags in that span.

Lowe (toe) went 0-for-1 with a strikeout Friday against the Nationals.

Lowe has been out of the lineup for five straight games with a fractured pinky toe, and Friday's appearance as a pinch hitter was his first since suffering the injury. Manager Kevin Cash said that Lowe was physically capable of being a starter, but Lowe remained on the bench due to a matchup against lefty Mitchell Parker, per MLB.com. Lowe wore a protective guard over his right cleat.

DeLuca went 2-for-4 with a stolen base Friday against the Nationals.

DeLuca has been serving as the Rays' fourth outfielder, primarily getting playing time when a lefty is on the mound or when the team shifts Josh Lowe to designated hitter. DeLuca hasn't made a strong case for more playing time, batting just .163 across 138 plate appearances, though he managed his sixth stolen base of the year Friday.