MLB Player News

Stephenson entered Sunday's game as a pinch hitter and hit a solo home run in a 7-1 loss to Miami.

Stephenson's eighth-inning blast made it a 2-1 game before the Marlins put it out of reach with a five-run ninth. The home run was the 12th of the season for Stephenson, who's hit six of them in the last 21 games. What had been a rough first half (.680 OPS) has given way to a productive second half (1.003), as the 30-year-old backstop sets himself up for unrestricted free agency this offseason.

The Royals outrighted Morgan to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.

Morgan was booted off the 40-man roster last week, but he'll remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. The right-handed reliever holds a 5.12 ERA and 1.71 WHIP across 19.1 innings in the majors this season.

Santillan (oblique) could be activated to the major-league roster later this week, Mike Petraglia of MLB.com reports.

Santillan worked a scoreless inning as the opener in Sunday's game and will make at least one more appearance either Tuesday or Wednesday. If all goes well, the right-hander could rejoin the Reds at the end of the week. He's made two scoreless appearances with the Bats, striking out three over two innings.

Martinez replaced an injured Chase DeLauter (hamstring) on Sunday and went 0-for-3 in a 5-0 loss to San Diego.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt removed DeLauter "out of an abundance of caution," suggesting the injury is mild, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports. If he's unable to return for Tuesday's series opener against the Giants, Martinez should fill in once again.

Jansen (forearm) went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI for Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

Originally reported to be rehabbing at Double-A Frisco, Jansen played the fifth game of a rehab assignment with the Express. He caught seven innings Sunday and is 5-for-15 with two walks during his stay in Round Rock. Texas manager Skip Schumaker told MLB.com that he could "be ready soon."

Wong went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in Sunday's 8-3 loss to Pittsburgh.

Wong supplied Boston's lone offense with a three-run homer in the fifth inning. It was his fourth of the season to go along with 22 RBI over 62 games. Wong's playing time took a hit when Adley Rutschman came off the injured list last week, but the latter is still finding himself at the plate. Rutschman, who served as the designated hitter Sunday, is 1-for-17 with nine strikeouts since being activated Aug. 11.

Chapman triggered a vesting option in his contract when he pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Pirates.

The appearance was a non-save situation for Chapman, but it took him beyond the 40-inning mark and triggered an option for 2027. Pending an end-of-year physical, the left-hander will be under contract with Boston for another season and make $13 million.

Story (sports hernia) started at shortstop and went 1-for-2 with a run scored for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday.

Story played four innings in the field and handled the lone chance that came his way. Following a day off Monday, Story will join the WooSox for a trip to Syracuse and start at shortstop Tuesday. The Red Sox haven't mapped out anything beyond that, and interim manager Chad Tracy confirmed Story won't play any position other than shortstop. Utility infielder Andruw Monasterio has held down shortstop nicely over the last month, but the Red Sox did not add an established shortstop at the trade deadline, suggesting Story, who played second base when he first signed with Boston, can reclaim the position he's play the most during his career.

Rice went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Blue Jays.

After going hitless in his first four at-bats, Rice came through when it mattered most, launching a tie-breaking two-run homer in the 10th inning to produce what proved to be the winning runs. The blast was a welcome result for Rice, who entered Sunday mired in an awful August stretch, batting just .091 across 13 games. Despite the recent struggles, his 33 home runs rank third in the American League. On the season, Rice is slashing .251/.344/.533 with 20 doubles, three triples, 78 RBI, 76 runs scored and three steals across 509 plate appearances.

Vargas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 7-5 win over the Tigers.

Vargas extended Chicago's late lead by launching a solo homer in the ninth inning, giving him 28 long balls on the season. The infielder has caught fire at the plate, going 7-for-22 (.318) with four home runs and two doubles over his last five games. Through 121 contests this season, Vargas owns a .239 average and .835 OPS with 28 homers, 28 doubles, one triple, 72 RBI, 83 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.