MLB Player News

The Royals recalled Pratto from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday. He'll start at first base and bat sixth in the series opener at Toronto.

Of the minor-league players that the Royals called up for their four-game series in Toronto after 10 players on the 26-man active roster were placed on the restricted list due to their vaccination statuses, Pratto is one of the more prominent names. The 24-year-old will reach the big leagues for the first time after slashing .240/.374/.484 with 17 home runs and eight stolen bases across 337 plate appearances for Omaha. With the Blue Jays set to bring four right-handed starting pitchers to the hill this weekend, the lefty-hitting Pratto should find himself in the lineup each time, but he may need a big series at the plate to ensure he sticks around with Kansas City following the All-Star break.

Dalbec is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Thanks to the Red Sox facing a few lefties of late in addition to Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez and Trevor Story having all missed games with minor injuries, Dalbec had started in each of the past six contests. Story (hand) remains out Thursday, but with Devers and Martinez healthy and right-hander Drew Rasmussen on the bump for Tampa Bay, manager Alex Cora won't have room in the lineup for Dalbec.

Guerrero went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two RBI in Wednesday's victory over the Phillies.

Guerrero launched a solo shot off Zack Wheeler in the bottom of the fourth inning before later adding another RBI on a sacrifice fly in the following frame. The first baseman has now gone deep 20 times this year, and Wednesday's long ball ended a nine-game homer-less stretch. Guerrero has produced a .288 average with two round trippers, 10 RBI and five runs over 52 at-bats in July.

France isn't starting the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Nationals.

France started in Wednesday's matinee and went 0-for-4 in the win. He'll get a breather for the second game while Justin Upton serves as the designated hitter and bats seventh.

Pratto has hit .375/.531/.875 -- good for a 1.406 OPS -- with four homers and an 8:6 BB:K over his last seven games for Triple-A Omaha.

Pratto's strikeout-heavy tendencies have likely been the primary factor that has held him back from the big leagues this year, so it's promising to see him seemingly turning the corner recently. He's offered fairly steady power production (17 homers) with a bit of complementary speed (eight steals) throughout the year, but his .240 batting average and 30.6 percent strikeout rate (even factoring in the recent hot streak) offer obvious cause for concern about his ability to make a near-term impact in the big leagues. If he can maintain his recent plate-control improvements, he'll boost his stock significantly.

Torkelson went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's win over the Royals.

The three-hit effort pushed Torkelson's average to .201, which is a small step forward for the rookie, who's been below the .200 mark most of the season. The 22-year-old has shown flashes of potential amid his struggles, and he should continue to see plenty of playing time, which would make him an interesting fantasy option if he got hot at the plate.

Calhoun is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Athletics.

Calhoun will get a breather after he went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a walk in Monday's victory. Steven Dugger will take over in left field and bat ninth Tuesday against the Athletics.

Raley went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored Monday against the Red Sox.

Raley was promoted to the majors after Kevin Kiermaier (hip) landed back on the injured list Sunday. Raley isn't likely to find himself in the starting lineup often, but he replaced Harold Ramirez in left field Monday. He maintained a .290/.385/.560 line across 118 plate appearances with Triple-A Durham prior to being recalled -- strong numbers even considering the positive offensive environment.

Aranda went 2-for-4 with an RBI on Monday against the Red Sox.

Aranda drew his first start since being recalled Sunday, and he played second base while hitting fourth. The Rays have a lot of positional flexibility along their infield, but Aranda should be able to find regular playing time between second base and shortstop in the short term with both Wander Franco (wrist) and Brandon Lowe (back) sidelined. Once Lowe is activated -- which could come as early as Friday -- Aranda will vie for playing time at shortstop with Yu Chang and Taylor Walls. Aranda is a well-regarded prospect, and he tallied the second RBI of his career with a base knock in the fifth inning Monday.

Naylor is not in the starting lineup for Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

Naylor will get a breather in the matinee after he returned to the lineup Monday following a back issue. He'll likely be in lineup for Game 2, but more information will come at the conclusion of the afternoon game. Owen Miller will get the start at first base and bat seventh in Game 1.