MLB Player News

Duran is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Angels.

Duran will head to the bench for the series opener, but he had started in each of the last three contests and should be in store for an uptick in playing time after Marcus Semien (foot) was deactivated Saturday with a likely season-ending injury. Josh Smith will cover second base Monday, but if the Rangers prefer to use the versatile Smith in the outfield while Evan Carter (wrist) is on the shelf, Duran could have a fairly clear path to making regular starts at the keystone.

Higashioka is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Angels.

After starting at catcher or designated hitter in each of the previous three games, Higashioka looks to be receiving a breather Monday. Jonah Heim will fill in for him behind the plate in the series opener.

Kavadas will start at first base and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Rangers.

Kavadas will remain in the lineup for a second straight game and could see the bulk of the starts at first base against right-handed pitching after the Angels placed Nolan Schanuel (wrist) on the 10-day injured list Sunday. Over his 114 career plate appearances in the majors, Kavadas owns an unremarkable .180/.281/.320 slash line and a monstrous 38.6 percent strikeout rate, but the 26-year-old had displayed excellent pop at Triple-A Salt Lake this season (23 home runs in 105 games).

The Dodgers designated Kennedy for assignment Monday.

Kennedy will head to the waiver wire while the Dodgers bring utility player Enrique Hernandez (elbow) back from the injured list. After being claimed off waivers by the Dodgers on Aug. 15, Kennedy went 1-for-17 with one RBI and one run scored over seven games. If he clears waivers, Kennedy could accept an outright assignment and stick around with the organization at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Moore is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rangers.

Moore will head to the bench for the third time in five games while Luis Rengifo picks up a start at second base. The Angels are currently running a three-man rotation of Moore, Rengifo and Yoan Moncada between the keystone and third base, but Moncada's playing time appears to be the most stable of the trio at the moment. Moore is slashing just .184/.273/.224 with a 30.9 percent strikeout rate since the beginning of August and could begin to play second fiddle to Rengifo at second base on a more frequent basis if he's unable to improve his production at the plate.

The Dodgers activated Hernandez (elbow) from the 10-day injured list prior to Monday's game against the Reds.

Hernandez isn't listed in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener, but he'll see his first action since July 5 over the next few days now that he's made a full recovery from left elbow inflammation. Manager Dave Roberts noted Monday that Hernandez will draw starts Tuesday and Wednesday, per Jon Paul Hoornstra of Newsweek.com. Hernandez was hitting just .083 with one home run, four RBI and two runs scored in his last 10 appearances before going down with the injury.

Keith (illness) is batting leadoff and serving as the designated hitter Monday against the Athletics, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Keith was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to illness, but it won't force him to miss more than one game. He'll aim to break out of a cold spell Monday evening after going 0-for-8 with one walk over his last four games.

The Mets announced July 29 that Smith (elbow) has been throwing bullpen sessions and could be close to facing live hitters in batting practice, MLB.com reports.

Updates on Smith's rehab from his July 2024 Tommy John surgery with an internal brace have been scarce over the past month, but assuming he's experienced no setbacks during the ramp-up process, he could have an outside shot at returning from the 60-day injured list in September. Before suffering the elbow injury last summer, Smith had been an integral piece in the New York bullpen, posting a 3.06 ERA while collecting two saves and six holds over his 19 appearances in 2024.

The Athletics announced Monday that Clarke (adductor) has yet to resume running or hitting, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Initially placed on the injured list July 22 due to a Grade 2 right adductor strain, Clarke made a rehab appearance for Triple-A Las Vegas on Aug. 15 but suffered a new Grade 2 strain of the same adductor in that game. While the Athletics have indicated that Clarke has made progress since then, he doesn't appear to be close to a return from the IL.

Severino (oblique) will throw a simulated game Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Severino continues to work his way back from a left oblique strain, which resulted in him being placed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 9. The veteran right-hander has apparently responded well to throwing bullpen sessions, so he'll take the next step forward in his recovery by facing hitters Wednesday. The Athletics will evaluate Severino following the sim game before determining whether he's ready to re-enter the big-league rotation next week, or if he'll first require a minor-league rehab start before being activated from the injured list. Severino posted a 6-11 record with a 4.82 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across 136.1 innings prior to landing on the IL.