MLB Player News

Pasquantino (back) isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.

Pasquantino aggravated a back injury Tuesday that has been bothering him for a while, so the Royals will keep him on the bench Wednesday as a precaution. Salvador Perez will fill in for him at first base, moving Jac Caglianone into the DH spot and giving Lane Thomas a start in right field.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that Pasquantino is considered day-to-day after exiting Tuesday's game versus the Athletics with low-back tightness, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Pasquantino revealed that his back has bothered him for "a while," as he's been receiving regular treatment and using a heating/massage back pad in the dugout. He was "just having a hard time getting it loose" Tuesday, forcing his removal in the sixth inning. The Royals will see how Pasquantino is feeling Wednesday before determining his availability for the second game of the series. If Pasquantino is unable to play, the Royals could use Salvador Perez or Nick Loftin at first base.

Schanuel is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Schanuel will exit the starting nine for just the fourth time all season and for the first time against a right-handed starter (Erick Fedde). Vaughn Grissom will get the nod at first base in place of Schanuel, who went 4-for-8 with a pair of doubles, two runs and an RBI over the first two contests of the series in Chicago.

Schanuel went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the White Sox.

Schanuel has now posted back-to-back multi-hit games against Chicago with a pair of doubles across nine plate appearances. The first baseman has hit safely in 14 of 22 games this month and is slashing .241/.304/.375 with three homers, 19 RBI, 10 runs scored and a 10:19 BB:K across 125 plate appearances on the season. Schanuel doesn't hit the ball hard or possess much power, but he doesn't chase pitches out of the zone or strike out often.

Hoskins is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

After a recent stretch of four consecutive starts, Hoskins will be on the bench against a right-handed pitcher for a second straight game as the Guardians close out their series with the Rays. Hoskins should continue to regularly replace Kyle Manzardo at first base when the Guardians face lefties, but Hoskins looks like he'll have to settle for a part-time role versus righties.

Naylor went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's 7-1 win over the Twins.

Naylor continued his recent surge at the plate, delivering an RBI single in the sixth inning before adding a three-run homer off Cole Sands in the eighth to put the game out of reach. The long ball was his fourth of the season. The first baseman now has five multi-hit games in his last nine contests, going 15-for-33 (.455) with eight RBI over that stretch. Despite the hot streak, Naylor's overall numbers remain modest, as he's slashing .220/.295/.349 with 15 RBI, eight runs scored and four stolen bases across 122 plate appearances.

Pasquantino was removed from Tuesday's game against the Athletics with lower-back tightness.

Pasquantino looked a bit uncomfortable running out of the batter's box during his groundout in the sixth inning, which prompted the Royals to take him out of the game when they took the field in the bottom of the frame. There's currently no information regarding the severity of his injury, but if he needs to miss any amount of time, Salvador Perez or Nick Loftin could see extra time at first base.

Murakami went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Monday's 8-7 victory versus the Angels.

Murakami turned the game on its head in the seventh inning, mashing a three-run blast to turn his team's one-run deficit into a two-run lead. The long ball was his 12th of the campaign, moving him into the lead among MLB hitters. Murakami is also striking out at a 32.5 percent clip, but as long as he keeps hitting the ball over the outfield wall, the White Sox likely won't mind stomaching the punchouts.

Clemens went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and two additional RBI in Monday's victory over the Mariners.

Clemens led the Twins' offensive outburst Monday, highlighted by a three-run homer off Luis Castillo in the third inning. The performance marked the first baseman's first multi-RBI game of the season, bringing his line to .194/.275/.371 with three homers, two doubles, eight RBI, five runs and four stolen bases across 19 games.

Rice went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk against Texas in Monday's 4-2 victory.

Rice opened the scoring in the contest with a two-run blast to center field in the third inning. That gave him at least one RBI in three of his past four games and pushed him to 10 total homers, tied for fourth-most in MLB. After breaking out with an .836 OPS and 26 long balls during the regular season last year, Rice has been even better in the early going of the current campaign. He's slashing .322/.447/.744 and has complemented the 10 homers with 23 RBI, 26 runs and a stolen base through 114 plate appearances.