MLB Player News

Polanco will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Brewers.

Though he'll be included in the starting nine for the series finale, Polanco has cracked the Mets' lineup just three times in the last seven games. Since he's not yet cleared to play first base since making his return from a lengthy stay on the shelf due to Achilles and ankle injuries, Polanco will be limited to the DH spot. The Mets may be more inclined to rotate players at DH rather than leaning on Polanco as the primary option, especially while he's mustered a lowly .489 OPS through 21 games on the season.

The Royals designated Misner for assignment Wednesday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Nate Pearson. Misner has slashed just .206/.259/.312 with a 34.8 percent strikeout rate across parts of three major-league seasons, but the 28-year-old could draw interest via waivers from a team seeking outfield depth.

Atlanta optioned Ritchie to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Ritchie will give up his spot on the active roster to left-hander Martin Perez (elbow), who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday versus the Padres. After tossing 3.2 innings in long relief during Tuesday's 8-3 loss, Ritchie was unlikely to be available out of the Atlanta bullpen for at least the next couple of days.

The Royals acquired Pearson from the Astros on Wednesday in exchange for Max Martin.

Pearson had been designated for assignment by Houston, but he will now join a 40-man roster in a new organization. The hard-throwing righty holds a 3.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 16:12 K:BB in 20 innings in the majors this season. Pearson does not have any minor-league options remaining, so he will join the Royals' bullpen.

Atlanta reinstated Perez (forearm) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start Wednesday against the Padres at Truist Park.

Perez spent just one day over the minimum amount of time on the shelf while he recovered from a left forearm contusion, which he sustained when he was struck by a line drive in a July 5 start versus the Mets. The veteran southpaw was able to bypass a rehab assignment prior to being activated, but Atlanta could still be conservative with his workload as he makes his 15th start of the campaign. With a 3.54 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 81.1 innings, Perez has been a more essential piece of the rotation than Atlanta anticipated heading into the season.

Jung said after being removed from Tuesday's game versus the White Sox with left calf tightness that he expects to be OK, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

While the injury looks to be minor, the Rangers weren't going to be taking any chances given Jung's history of calf issues. With the Rangers being idle Thursday, there's a chance Jung will be held out of Wednesday's lineup. The club might have more information on their third baseman's condition pregame.

Basallo (shoulder) is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Red Sox, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Basallo will be on the bench for a second straight game due to right shoulder discomfort, but the Orioles are classifying him as day-to-day, and he remains optimistic that he'll avoid a stint on the injured list. With the Red Sox expected to send a lefty starter (Ranger Suarez) to the bump for the second game of the twin bill, it wouldn't be surprising if the Orioles continued to keep the left-handed-hitting Basallo out of the lineup for the nightcap. According to Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com, manager Craig Albernaz said Wednesday that Basallo is trending in the right direction, but acknowledged that "it's going to be a TBD thing" regarding whether the backstop will be available for either game of doubleheader.

Soto is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.

Soto suffered a calf injury that forced him out late in a game last Thursday versus the Phillies, but he proceeded to start in each of the Mets' ensuing four contests while going 2-for-16 with three walks, two runs and one RBI. The Mets haven't indicated that Soto has experienced any setbacks with his calf, so he may just be getting a planned maintenance day while the team closes out its series in Milwaukee with a day game after a night game. With Soto on the bench, the Mets will go with a starting outfield of Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Brett Baty from left to right, while Jorge Polanco serves as the designated hitter.

Reds manager Terry Francona said that Steer (ribs) is expected to be OK and was slated to hit in the batting cage pregame Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Steer was unable to play Tuesday in Seattle after being hit by a pitch in the ribs during Monday's contest. He appears to have avoided a serious injury, however, and should be considered day-to-day. While Steer could play Wednesday, a looming team off day Thursday might convince the club to hold the 28-year-old out until Friday.

Susac is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Susac will take a seat for the matinee game after he went 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base while catching 8.1 innings of Tuesday's 4-3 loss. Drew Cavanaugh will receive a turn behind the plate in the series finale.