MLB Player News

Thomas is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.

Thomas made six consecutive starts in the corner outfield from June 27 through last Friday, but he now finds himself on the bench for the third time in four games. All three of those absences have come against right-handed pitching, as Thomas looks like he'll have to settle for a short-side platoon role with Carlos Cortes having heated back up at the plate and earned himself more opportunities versus righties at Thomas' expense.

Heim is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.

Shea Langeliers is making a second straight start behind the dish after a two-game absence due to a thumb injury, and Tyler Soderstrom (hip) is serving as the Athletics' designated hitter in his return from the injured list. The 31-year-old Heim is on the bench for just the second time in 12 games, as he's played his way into a near-everyday role while producing an .816 OPS since the Athletics acquired him in early May. Soderstrom should eventually shift back into a regular role in left field, so Heim still looks to have a fairly clear path to steady playing time at DH.

Donovan (groin) will work out Wednesday for a second straight day at the Mariners' spring training complex before starting a rehab assignment later this week, assuming all goes well, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Previous reports suggested Donovan would begin playing rehab games in the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday. That's been pushed back a couple days, but Donovan should still have a good chance to be activated immediately after the All-Star break. The 29-year-old has been sidelined since mid-May with a left groin strain.

McNeil is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.

The left-handed-hitting McNeil has now sat in three straight games, including two matchups versus right-handed pitchers. The 34-year-old has struggled to a .227/.297/.305 batting line on the season, with his .597 OPS representing a career-low mark by 82 points. The Athletics' patience with McNeil may be wearing thin, especially while rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer has made a case for steady playing time by producing a 1.058 OPS through seven games since being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas last week. Kuroda-Grauer will receive the nod at second base Wednesday and could continue to play ahead of McNeil while he's wielding a hot bat.

The Cardinals designated Shuster for assignment Wednesday.

Shuster's latest stint in the majors lasted one day, and he was torched for seven runs over 1.1 frames in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Brewers. The lefty has accepted two previous outright assignments from the Cardinals, so he could stick around in the organization again if he clears waivers.

The Cardinals selected Gastelum's contract from Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.

Gastelum netted his first major-league promotion after logging a 2.27 ERA and 49:17 K:BB over 43.2 innings with Memphis. The righty was unscored upon in his last 18 appearances, authoring a 30:5 K:BB across 22.1 frames during that span.

Jung (knee) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels.

The Rangers will keep Jung on the bench for a third straight game while he tends to knee discomfort, which stemmed from him fouling a ball off himself during Saturday's loss to the Tigers. Ezequiel Duran will get the start at third base in place of Jung, whom the Rangers are viewing as day-to-day while he continues to receive treatment for the injured knee. Per Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com, Jung is available off the bench as a pinch hitter for Wednesday's game.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough confirmed Wednesday that Junk (shin) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Thursday's game versus the Mariners, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Junk has been sidelined since late May with right shin bone inflammation, but he convinced the Marlins he was ready to go by yielding two runs with a 6:0 K:BB over 5.2 innings in two rehab starts with Triple-A Jacksonville. The right-hander threw 61 pitches in his last rehab outing, so Junk will be fairly limited from a workload perspective against Seattle.

Turner is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.

Turner isn't known to be nursing an injury or illness, so his absence Wednesday could just be a planned rest day after he started each of the past 19 contests and 89 of the Phillies' first 92 games of the season. Edmundo Sosa will get the nod at shortstop in place of Turner, who has bounced back from a tough start to the campaign to reach base in 13 of his last 14 starts while slashing .323/.333/.523 with three home runs, one steal, 10 RBI and 14 runs during that stretch.

Kelly was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Worcester with a right elbow injury, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Kelly has made 17 appearances out of the Red Sox's bullpen this season, holding a 3.31 ERA and 14:7 K:BB over 16.1 innings. It's unclear how long he might be out, but Kelly won't be an option for the Red Sox in the immediate future.