MLB Player News

Caratini is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Caratini will get a breather for the series finale after he drew starts behind the dish in each of the previous three games. Alex Jackson will handle the catching duties for Minnesota on Sunday.

Tovar is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Tovar will be handed the afternoon off, ending a streak of six starts during which he went 5-for-22 (.227) with three runs and an RBI. With Tovar on the bench, Willi Castro will shift over to shortstop, opening up the keystone for Edouard Julien.

Thompson will start at designated hitter and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

The Rockies have been making a concerted effort of late to open up playing time for Thompson, who will crack the starting nine for the fourth game in a row. Thompson has produced three extra-base hits over his previous three starts, bringing his OPS up to .708 through his first 75 big-league plate appearances.

Johnston is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Johnston appears to be fading into a part-time role; he'll head to the bench for the third time in four games, with all those absences coming against right-handed pitchers. The downturn in playing time comes despite Johnston having turned in a productive June thus far with a .308/.397/.481 slash line over 15 games.

The Athletics optioned Williams to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.

Williams has been productive through 14 games in June with six extra-base hits and a .343/.378/.571 slash line, but he'll still lose his roster spot. Joey Meneses was added to the big-league roster Sunday and is starting at designated hitter in the series finale versus the Angels.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that he expects Griffin (forearm) to play in minor-league rehab games by the end of the week, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Griffin has been rehabbing in Florida since landing on the shelf May 31 due to a right forearm strain, but he's expected to head north to Pittsburgh for an evaluation early this week before linking up with a minor-league affiliate. Throwing at full strength and velocity seems to be the biggest concern for Griffin as he works his way back from the injury, and the rookie phenom appears to be making progress on that front. Per MLB.com, Pirates manager Don Kelly said Saturday that Griffin has extended his throwing distance to 150 feet and was clocked at 89 mph while throwing from third base to first.

The Rays reinstated Grove (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Durham on Sunday.

Tampa Bay will give Grove some more time in the minors to round into form following March 2025 surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The 29-year-old had looked good over the course of his eight rehab appearances between the rookie-level Florida Complex League and Durham, compiling a 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 16:4 K:BB across 12.2 innings.

Seager (concussion) took part in defensive drills on the field prior to Sunday's game against the Padres, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Though he remains on the 7-day injured list, Seager's ability to take part in a pregame workout suggests he's progressing in his recovery from a mild concussion. Seager is slated to travel with the Rangers during their upcoming 10-game road swing, but it's unclear if he'll be able to clear the protocol and make his return from the IL at any point during that trip.

Lopez will start at second base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Padres.

Lopez will remain in the starting nine for a third straight game after he went 2-for-7 over the first two contests of the series. The 31-year-old journeyman could be in store for a regular role until Texas gets Corey Seager (concussion) back from the 7-day injured list.

France will start at first base and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Rangers.

France will be awarded a sixth consecutive start after going 4-for-19 with three extra-base hits (two home runs, one double) and a walk over the previous five contests, but his path to regular playing time could become muddled during the upcoming week. Though he wasn't included in the lineup, Miguel Andujar (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Sunday and should settle back into an everyday role. Andujar's return would seem to leave France and Will Wagner most at risk of losing at-bats.