MLB Player News

Volpe is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays.

Volpe has mostly been handling a near-everyday role since being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 12, but his playing time has tailed off lately while he's fallen into a 5-for-35 skid at the plate over his last 12 games. The Yankees will keep Volpe on the bench for the third time in four contests, with two of those absences coming against righties and one coming against a lefty. Even though New York still has a couple openings in the lineup while Aaron Judge (rib) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) are stuck on the injured list, Jose Caballero, Jasson Dominguez and Max Schuemann all appear to be getting prioritized ahead of Volpe.

Polanco is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

Polanco will take a seat for Thursday's matinee after he went a combined 2-for-8 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run while serving as the Mets' designated hitter in the first two games of the series following his return from the injured list. Francisco Alvarez will replace Polanco as New York's DH in the series finale.

Natera (1-0) earned the win over Texas on Wednesday, striking out five batters over two perfect innings in relief.

The Angels built an early lead, and starter Walbert Urena held the Rangers scoreless through four frames. However, Urena also struggled with his control and needed 90 pitches to get through those four innings, so he wasn't able to go deep enough to qualify for the win. Natera entered in the fifth and dominated across two frames, throwing 19 of 24 pitches for strikes and fanning five of the six batters he faced. That earned the lefty his first big-league win in his 11th appearance. Natera was blown up for four runs over two-thirds of an inning July 4 versus Boston, but he's otherwise been lights-out. In his other 10 outings, he's given up just one run on three hits across 12.2 frames while recording an impressive 20:6 K:BB. Natera has logged one save and one hold and could be working his way up to more high-leverage situations given how effectively he's pitched.

Triolo will make his third straight start at shortstop in Thursday's game against Atlanta.

Triolo briefly transitioned back into a utility role in late June when Konnor Griffin settled back in as the Pirates' top shortstop after a one-month absence due to a forearm flexor strain, but a regular spot in the middle infield has reopened for Triolo after Griffin was moved back to the IL on Tuesday due to a torn tendon in his left ring finger. Griffin faces an estimated recovery timeline of 8-to-10 weeks, so unless the Pirates bring another shortstop aboard prior to the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Triolo should be in line for an extended run as an everyday player. Though Triolo is regarded as a strong defender, he's offered limited fantasy value this season with a .236 average, one home run, six steals, 14 RBI and 19 runs across 198 plate appearances.

Banda underwent surgery to repair his left lat strain and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Banda last pitched June 28 and was placed on the 15-day injured list 11 days ago. He expects to be ready for the start of spring training in February. The lefty reliever appeared in 39 games out of the bullpen for Minnesota this season and registered a 4.46 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 33:15 K:BB across 34.1 innings.

Davis is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against Atlanta.

Though he looks like the Pirates' new No. 1 catcher after Endy Rodriguez (glute) was placed on the injured list Wednesday, Davis will get a breather Thursday while Pittsburgh closes out its series against Atlanta with a day game after a night game. Rafael Flores will step in behind the dish and will bat eighth.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said Thursday that Stanton (calf) has resumed running after receiving a PRP injection, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

The 36-year-old has been sidelined since late April due to recurring calf issues. He initially suffered a strained right calf before suffering a new strain in the same calf while rehabbing last month. It's unclear what kind of timeline Stanton is looking at for his potential return to the lineup. He slashed .256/.302/.422 with three home runs, 14 RBI, eight runs scored, one stolen base and a 6:29 BB:K across 96 trips to the plate before going down with the injuries.

Marquez is slated to start Sunday's game against the Blue Jays at Petco Park.

Though he had been expected to be deployed as more of an opener during his previous start Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, Marquez ended up working five innings and tossing 82 pitches in the Padres' 4-1 win. The veteran right-hander yielded just one unearned run in the victory, striking out four while scattering three hits and three walks. His overall numbers on the season (5.02 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 24:18 K:BB in 37.2 innings) still leave much to be desired, so despite coming off of a strong performance, Marquez won't make for the most dependable streaming option Sunday.

Javier allowed a hit and two walks in a scoreless inning in Wednesday's 8-2 loss to the Nationals.

Javier was called upon for mop-up duty in the eighth inning Wednesday, as he continues to work his way back from a shoulder strain. The right-hander allowed a single and a walk to the first two batters he faced, though he'd ultimately make it through the inning unscathed. It's the first scoreless appearance of the season for Javier, who surrendered 13 runs across 9.1 innings prior to his IL stint, before giving up a run on two hits over two innings in relief against Tampa Bay in his return Sunday.

Assad is slated to start Saturday's game against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

After being deployed in the bullpen June 30 versus the Padres, Assad slotted back into the rotation this past Sunday against the Cardinals, taking a no-decision while tossing 4.2 scoreless frames. With Jameson Taillon (hamstring) set to remain on his rehab assignment this week before likely returning from the 15-day injured list following the All-Star break, Assad will stick in a starting role for at least one more appearance. Once Taillon is activated, the Cubs will have rotation spots available for only two of Assad, Colin Rea and David Peterson.