MLB Player News

Acuna (hamstring) could join Atlanta in New York on Monday and return from the 10-day injured list for the club's series opener against the Mets, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.

The five-time All-Star was believed to have a chance of playing Sunday, but he's not in the starting lineup against Baltimore and instead appears set to come off the IL a day later. Acuna landed on the shelf June 10 due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and kicked off a rehab assignment during the All-Star break, compiling a .231/.364/.346 slash line with six walks, one home run and one stolen base in nine rehab games between the rookie-level Florida Complex League and Triple-A Gwinnett.

Wong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

Wong will take a seat for the series finale after he went 1-for-6 with four strikeouts Friday and Saturday. Carlos Narvaez will get the nod at catcher Sunday.

Pinango is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

The left-handed hitter will hit the bench for the second time in the series, this time against southpaw starter Ranger Suarez. Davis Schneider will receive the nod in left field Sunday, but Pinango should hold down the strong side of a platoon until the Blue Jays get Jesus Sanchez (ankle) back from the injured list.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Palencia (elbow) is scheduled to throw an up-and-down bullpen session Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Counsell noted that Palencia felt great after completing a side session Sunday, prompting the Cubs to clear the right-hander to take another small step forward Tuesday with a bullpen session that more closely simulates a game. Assuming that goes well, Palencia could face hitters in live batting practice later in the week before heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment in the first week of August. The 26-year-old has been on the shelf since June 16 due to a mild right flexor strain, after he had previously missed about three weeks earlier in the season on account of a lat strain.

Taveras will start in right field and bat seventh in Sunday's game against Atlanta.

Taveras will be included in the starting nine for the sixth time in seven games and appears to have temporarily reclaimed a near-everyday role with Blaze Alexander (hand) on the shelf. Since the All-Star break, Taveras has gone just 3-for-19 (.158) with a 29.2 percent strikeout rate, so he'll likely need to improve his production to strengthen his grip on a regular spot in the lineup.

Encarnacion-Strand will start at third base and bat fifth in Sunday's game against Atlanta.

Encarnacion-Strand has sizzled at the plate since being called up from Triple-A Norfolk on July 16, going 9-for-24 (.375) with three home runs, nine RBI and a 1:6 BB:K. He'll be making his sixth consecutive start Sunday at third base, where he appears to have leapfrogged Coby Mayo on the depth chart.

Huff is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta.

The 28-year-old made consecutive starts for the Orioles earlier in the week after Adley Rutschman (wrist) and Samuel Basallo (shoulder) landed on the injured list within two days of one another, but Chadwick Tromp has since supplanted Huff as Baltimore's preferred option behind the plate in the short term. Huff has gone just 4-for-32 (.125) with 19 strikeouts in 13 games with the Orioles this season.

The Twins reinstated Sands (forearm) from the 15-day injured list Sunday.

Sands has been on the shelf since early May due to a forearm strain, but he's ready to rejoin the active roster after firing seven scoreless frames during a six-outing rehab assignment. The right-hander opened the campaign in a high-leverage role, recording one save and three holds in 12 appearances prior to the injury. Yoendrys Gomez has since settled in as Minnesota's closer, which likely positions Sands to fill a setup role.

Tromp will start at catcher and bat ninth in Sunday's game against Atlanta.

He'll make a fourth consecutive start and appears to have supplanted Sam Huff as the Orioles' top option behind the plate while both Adley Rutschman (wrist) and Samuel Basallo (shoulder) are on the injured list. The owner of a career .218/.225/.360 slash line over parts of seven seasons in the big leagues, Tromp won't warrant much attention outside of AL-only leagues while he's operating as the Orioles' No. 1 backstop.

The Giants recalled Whisenhunt from Triple-A Sacramento ahead of his scheduled start Sunday versus the Angels in San Francisco.

Whisenhunt will be entering the rotation in place of Trevor McDonald (elbow), who could be facing a long-term absence after he was diagnosed Friday with a UCL sprain. The Giants previously called Whisenhunt up for spot starts June 17 and July 9, but the southpaw has otherwise spent the entire season in the Triple-A rotation. Over 82.1 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Whisenhunt has submitted a 4.15 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 90:38 K:BB across 82.1 innings.