MLB Player News

Lux is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

With southpaw Cristopher Sanchez on the hill for the Phillies, the lefty-hitting Lux will retreat to the bench. Chris Taylor will cover second base in Lux's stead.

Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

The newly minted All-Star will get a breather Wednesday while Austin Barnes receives a turn behind the dish. Smith was one of the few bright spots for the Dodgers in Tuesday's 10-1 loss in the series opener, going 2-for-4 with a walk in the blowout.

Soler (illness) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Soler was scratched from Tuesday's starting nine due to an illness and will remain on the bench again for Wednesday's contest. Patrick Bailey will rest his legs as San Francisco's designated hitter while Curt Casali receives a start behind the plate.

Mitchell isn't in the Brewers' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

The left-handed-hitting Mitchell will step out of the lineup Wednesday with left-hander Martin Perez slated to start on the mound for Pittsburgh. Blake Perkins will get the nod to start in center field instead, batting seventh.

The Reds voided Ashcraft's option to Triple-A Louisville and instead placed him on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a right elbow strain, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 26-year-old was demoted after giving up a run on six hits and three walks over 4.2 innings Sunday versus Detroit, but he'll end up making his way to the injured list rather than Louisville. According to Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer, Reds GM Nick Krall said Wednesday that Ashcraft began experiencing the tightness about a week ago and attempted to pitch through the issue before being optioned. The right-hander will be shut down from throwing for at least the next two weeks and will need multiple weeks beyond that to build his arm back up.

Atlanta recalled Lee from Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Lee was dispatched to the minors on Monday, and he'll now be called upon to replace AJ Smith-Shawver, who was optioned to Triple-A. Lee has emerged as a reliable option out of the bullpen for Atlanta, logging a 2.00 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 36 innings, though the amount of talent in the team's bullpen has limited him to a middle-relief role.

Atlanta reinstated Anderson (illness) from the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

The 31-year-old landed on the shelf in late June with a bacterial infection and will rejoin the active roster after a three-game rehab stint with Triple-A Gwinnett. Anderson signed a big-league contract with Atlanta in early June but saw action in just three games prior to landing on the injured list.

Atlanta placed Laureano on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a left oblique strain.

Laureano has not played in a game since June 26, and Atlanta has now officially given in and ruled him out for the remainder of the first half of the season. His move to the IL is retroactive to Tuesday, so the 29-year-old outfielder will be eligible to return to the active roster immediately after the All-Star break. Brian Anderson (illness) was reinstated from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move in order to fill the opening in Atlanta's outfield unit.

Atlanta optioned Smith-Shawver to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Just one day after returning from the 15-day IL, Smith-Shawver will now head back to the minors without making an appearance for the big-league team. He threw 4.1 scoreless innings during his lone appearance with Atlanta on May 23, though he's posted a 6.10 ERA in eight starts in the minors. Dylan Lee will come up from Triple-A to fill Smith-Shawver's spot in the bullpen.

Higashioka is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

Though he's on the bench Wednesday, Higashioka looks to have moved ahead of both Luis Campusano and Brett Sullivan in the pecking order at catcher. Higashioka had already been seeing the majority of the starts behind the plate over Sullivan while Campusano was on the injured list, but since being activated Friday, Campusano has cracked the lineup just once in five games. Meanwhile, Higashioka has continued to rake at the plate to make a case for the lion's share of the playing time at catcher. Dating back to June 22, Higashioka has slashed .342/.375/.842 with six home runs, 17 RBI and eight runs over a stretch of 11 games.