MLB Player News

Smith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.

The left-handed-hitting Smith will retreat to the bench while the Mets send a lefty starter (Zac Thornton) to the bump Monday, but Smith will likely be headed for a reduction in playing time against right-handed pitching, too. With Atlanta welcoming Ronald Acuna (hamstring) back from the injured list Monday, Mike Yastrzemski could end up seeing most of his playing time at designated hitter, which would leave Smith as an odd man out of the lineup. Smith has been serviceable against righties with a 103 wRC+ on the season, but he's produced an underwhelming overall batting line of .220/.316/.300 over 18 games in July.

Langeliers will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a torn right meniscus, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Langeliers might have had a chance at making a late-season return if he required a meniscectomy or trim of the meniscus, but he'll end up being shut down for the season since he'll require a full repair, which typically carries a recovery timeline of 3-to-6 months. With Langeliers on the shelf, Jonah Heim will serve as the Athletics' starting catcher moving forward, while Brian Serven operates in a backup role. Langeliers will conclude his 2026 campaign with a .263/.332/.497 slash line, 23 home runs, two stolen bases, 51 RBI and 55 runs in 93 games.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Monday that McLain (calf) will stay with Triple-A Louisville on a rehab assignment to begin the week, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Though McLain has been on the shelf for less than three weeks due to a left calf strain, the Reds aren't looking to rush him back from his rehab assignment. Francona said he believes that picking up some more at-bats at a lower-pressure environment at Triple-A will be beneficial for McLain, who was hitting just .190/.293/.328 over 309 plate appearances on the season for Cincinnati before going on the injured list. After going 3-for-10 with two doubles through his first three games with Louisville, McLain will likely play in at least a couple more contests in the minors before the Reds consider activating him. Once he's reinstated, McLain could have an avenue to steady playing time after the Reds placed Spencer Steer (wrist) on the IL on Monday.

Rocker (4-8) earned the win against the Mariners on Monday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven across 6.2 innings.

Rocker has tossed quality starts in back-to-back outings, with his only blemishes Monday being a Randy Arozarena solo homer in the second inning and a Julio Rodriguez sacrifice fly in the third. Rocker induced 14 whiffs on 88 pitches (57 strikes), and it was the third time this season that he registered at least seven strikeouts. He'll take a 4.03 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 93:38 K:BB across 102.2 innings into his next start, which is lined up for this weekend on the road against the Astros.

Polanco is not in the Mets' starting lineup against Atlanta on Monday.

Polanco has struggled at the plate in his six games since the All-Star break, going 1-for-21 with eight strikeouts and one RBI in that span. He'll be on the bench for the beginning of Monday's game while Francisco Alvarez serves as the designated hitter and bats fifth.

Heineman will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Astros.

Logan O'Hoppe started each of the last two days versus lefties, but this will be the third straight start for the switch-hitting Heineman against a righty. Heineman is 7-for-27 with a 3:3 BB:K in 11 games since joining the Angels in mid-June.

Mountcastle (foot) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Mountcastle has been steadily progressing in his recovery from a left foot fracture that he sustained in mid-April, and he's ready to take the next step by embarking on a rehab assignment. He'll likely need to play in a few minor-league games before being cleared to return, but he is tracking toward being back with the Orioles by early-to-mid August.

Bassitt (back) will embark on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Bassitt has been shelved since early June due to a back injury, which required a minor procedure to remove bone spurs. He's ready to take the next step in his recovery program, and he'll likely need a lengthy rehab assignment before returning to the Orioles' rotation. Bassitt appeared in 12 games (10 starts) before his IL stint and had a 5.27 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 37:22 K:BB across 56.1 innings.

O'Hoppe is absent from the lineup for Monday's contest against the Astros.

It marks the third straight time the right-handed-hitting O'Hoppe has not started versus a right-handed hurler. O'Hoppe is slashing just .188/.254/.291 with a 25.8 percent strikeout rate against righties this season. Tyler Heineman will draw another start behind the dish Monday.

Duran went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during Monday's 7-3 win over Seattle.

Duran opened the third inning with a solo blast off George Kirby to extend the Rangers' lead to 5-2. Duran has homered in back-to-back games and is up to 12 long balls on the season, which is two off from matching his career best that he set in 2023. He's on a seven-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 10-for-27 (.370) with six RBI and six extra-base hits.