MLB Player News

Church is not in the lineup for Monday's contest against the Cubs.

It marks the fourth straight time that the left-handed-hitting Church has been absent from the lineup versus a southpaw (in this case, David Peterson). Jose Fermin will patrol center field for the Cardinals in Monday's series opener.

The Blue Jays placed Fisher (personal) on the bereavement list Monday.

Fisher's father passed away unexpectedly earlier this month, so the right-handed reliever is likely just taking some time away from the team to be with family. Per MLB rules, players placed on the bereavement list have to miss a minimum of three games and a maximum of seven, so Fisher won't be available for at least the entirety of the Blue Jays' series in Washington that runs Monday through Wednesday.

Gimenez is not in the lineup for Monday's game versus the Nationals.

The Nationals are going with a lefty bulk reliever in Andrew Alvarez, so the lefty-swinging Gimenez will begin the contest on the bench. Ernie Clement will slide over to shortstop, and Luis Urias is getting a start at second base.

Romo is absent from the lineup for Monday's contest versus the Yankees.

Romo and Edgar Quero have split catching duties down the middle since Kyle Teel (ankle) went down, drawing three starts apiece. It will be Quero behind the dish in Monday's series opener.

The Blue Jays reinstated Scherzer (back/thumb) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Monday in Washington.

Scherzer will be making just his seventh start of the season for the Blue Jays and his first since June 10 after an extended stay on the shelf due to back spasms in addition to a thumb issue that cropped up during his rehab. The veteran righty surrendered seven runs (six earned) over the first two starts of his rehab assignment, but he proved that he was ready to rejoin the big club after striking out seven over five perfect innings during his most recent outing with Triple-A Buffalo last Wednesday. Scherzer tossed 56 pitches in that rehab start, so he'll likely be in store for a suppressed workload Monday as he slots back into the Toronto rotation.

Montgomery (shin) will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup in Monday's tilt against the Yankees.

Montgomery exited Saturday's game versus the Astros after fouling a ball off his right shin and then sat out Sunday's contest. He's ready to roll now for the series opener against the Bronx Bombers.

Montero is slated to start Monday's game against the Orioles in Detroit, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Montero had made five straight appearances out of the Detroit bullpen before being thrust into the rotation last Wednesday in Chicago. The right-hander turned in a gem of an outing in a win over the Cubs, striking out eight batters across 5.1 innings while permitting just one earned run on three hits and no walks. Though Jack Flaherty (forearm) is reportedly eyeing a minimum-length stay on the 15-day injured list, Montero will serve as the Tigers' No. 5 starter for the time being and tentatively lines up for a two-start week. After Monday's outing, Montero is on track to take the hill again during Sunday's series finale versus the Athletics in hitter-friendly Sacramento.

Steer will wear a splint for the next two weeks after being diagnosed with a partial tear of the tendon sheath in his right wrist, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Steer suffered the injury on a swing during Sunday's game in St. Louis and was placed on the injured list Monday. The hope is that he can avoid surgery and the injury heals with rest, but it's no guarantee that will happen. A timeline for Steer's return likely won't be available until he's re-evaluated following the two-week shutdown period.

Cowser is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers.

Cowser's grip on a strong-side platoon role in the Baltimore outfield may be starting to slip. He'll be on the bench for the second time in the Orioles' last three matchups with right-handed pitchers, after mustering just three hits in 33 at-bats while striking out at a 31.7 percent clip so far in July. Leody Taveras will get the nod in center field over Cowser in the series opener in Detroit.

The Pirates reinstated Rodriguez (glute) from the 10-day injured list Monday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Rodriguez won't be included in the starting nine for Monday's series opener versus the Diamondbacks, but he should at the very least move back into a timeshare at catcher with Henry Davis. Before hitting the shelf July 8 due to a left glute strain, Rodriguez slashed .260/.388/.470 with five home runs, two stolen bases, 16 RBI and 15 runs over his 35 games with Pittsburgh. The Pirates optioned catcher Shawn Ross to Triple-A Indianapolis to open up a spot on the active roster for Rodriguez.