MLB Player News

Guardians assistant general manager Matt Foreman said that Velazquez hasn't played for Triple-A Columbus since last Sunday due to lingering lower-body soreness, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Widely considered the Guardians' top prospect and regarded as one of the top power bats in the minors, Velazquez is being viewed as day-to-day and is expected to make it back into the Columbus lineup before the International League season concludes Sept. 20. The 21-year-old first baseman has hit .298 with 29 home runs across 117 games between Columbus and Double-A Akron this season.

Contreras (hamstring) served as the designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored for Double-A Portland on Friday.

Contreras, who kicked off a rehab assignment Friday, is scheduled to play first base for the Sea Dogs on Saturday. The Red Sox will reassess where he's at following Saturday's game.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Friday that Hoskins (back) has begun a swing progression program, MLB.com reports.

Hoskins still has time to make it back from the injured list before the end of the regular season, though he'll need to take live at-bats in simulated games and/or head out on a minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated. Once he rejoins the Guardians, Hoskins will likely occupy the short side of a platoon at first base with Nathaniel Lowe.

Naylor went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Friday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Athletics.

Naylor has hit .292 (15-for-120) with five steals and six extra-base hits over his last 30 games. The improvement in contact is a positive sign for the first baseman, who has struggled to live up to expectations in his first full year with the Mariners. He's batting .267 with a .682 OPS, 10 home runs, 27 steals, 49 RBI, 55 runs scored and 20 doubles across 138 contests.

Schanuel (intercostal) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake this weekend, Erica Weston of Angels Broadcast Television reports.

Schanuel has been shelved for the past three weeks with a right intercostal strain, but he's ready to test things out in a game setting. Because the first baseman's absence has been relatively brief, he should be ready for activation sometime next week if all goes well on his rehab assignment.

Murakami is absent from the lineup for Friday's game in St. Louis.

The Cardinals are sending left-hander Matthew Liberatore to the mound, so the White Sox are giving their left-handed-hitting slugger a day off. Miguel Vargas will slide over to first base, Colson Montgomery will cover third base and Luisangel Acuna will grab a start at shortstop.

Garcia went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run against Colorado in a 10-3 win Thursday.

Garcia gave New York a quick lead with a two-run homer to center field in the first inning. It was his second homer in as many days and his seventh through 32 contests since joining the Yankees at the trade deadline. Garcia is batting a hearty .299 during his time with New York and has added six doubles, 17 runs, 15 RBI and one stolen base. He's at 30 homers and 91 RBI overall this year, both of which are already career-best marks.

Aranda is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game in Atlanta.

With lefty Martin Perez toeing the rubber for Atlanta in the afternoon tilt, the lefty-swinging Aranda will be given a day to rest. Ryan Vilade is handling first base and will bat second as the Rays try to complete a series sweep.

Murakami went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Pirates.

Murakami homered off of Luke Weaver in the eighth inning to bring him up to 31 long balls, which is tied for fifth in the American League. The Japanese slugger had a rough August during which he hit only .147 with five home runs in 28 contests, but he's already homered twice through eight games in September. On the season, the 26-year-old is slashing .210/.349/.480 with 63 RBI and 74 runs scored, but he also has 169 strikeouts in 482 plate appearances.

Lowe went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during the Guardians' 9-5 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday.

Lowe reduced the Guardians' deficit to four runs with a two-run long ball off Shane Baz in the sixth inning, the second home run that the Guardians hit Wednesday. Lowe has gone deep in two of his last three outings and is up to 17 home runs on the year, and he's one home run shy from matching his regular-season total in 2025. Since being acquired by the Guardians from the Reds in early August, Lowe has a .699 OPS with five home runs and 21 RBI over 117 plate appearances.