MLB Player News

Gurriel (knee) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mets.

He'll be on the bench for a fifth consecutive contest with a sore right knee, but the Astros are optimistic that the first baseman won't be sidelined for much longer. According to Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle, manager A.J. Hinch indicated that if Gurriel can make it through workouts Monday without incident, the 33-year-old will rejoin the starting nine later that evening in the Astros' series opener in Seattle.

Stassi, who was designated for assignment Thursday, has been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Stassi has been so unproductive at the plate this season that the team couldn't afford to keep a roster spot for him despite September expansions. He'll look to turn things around in Triple-A, though a .682 OPS at that level is hardly encouraging.

Flores (broken nose), who is out of the lineup Sunday against the Astros, could return to action as early as this week, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Flores is already in line to see a specialist on Tuesday but has already seen improvements in his breathing, and the prognosis doesn't seem nearly as bleak as it was following the injury. A foul ball off his face resulted in a broken nose, but it's currently looking like a best-case scenario in terms of a projected absence. Look for the team to release further information following Tuesday's consultation.

Goldschmidt is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rockies.

Goldschmidt will get just his third day off since the All-Star break and his first since Aug. 16. He's been hitless in the first two games at Coors Field but has still managed to reach base and cross home plate in each. Rather than get a chance to bounce back in the hitter-friendly environment, Goldschmidt will give way to Kris Negron at first base for the series finale. It appears to be just a maintenance day with a big three-game set against the Dodgers ahead.

Abreu (elbow) will serve as the White Sox's designated hitter and bat third Sunday against the Rays.

Abreu was initially scheduled to hit the bench for a fourth straight game due to the elbow issue, but after Tyler Saladino was scratched with a sore left wrist, the slugger will rejoin the starting nine earlier than expected. The White Sox will ease Abreu back in by deploying him at DH, but it shouldn't be long before he takes back his normal duties at first base. Prior to missing time with the injury, Abreu was enjoying one of his most productive stretches of the season, finishing August with a .324/.370/.595 slash line.

Hoskins (hand) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins.

Hoskins had to be pulled from Saturday's game after he was hit in the hand with a pitch, but the Phillies received some good news later when X-rays on the hand came back negative. He doesn't appear to be quite ready to return to action, however, as Tommy Joseph will draw the start at first base Sunday, with Hyun Soo Kim set to man left field.

Hoskins had an X-ray on his hand which came back negative, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hoskins was pulled from Saturday's game after being pegged in the hand by a 98 mph fastball. He said after the game that the hand is bruised and swollen. It seems likely that Hoskins will be given a day off Sunday to let the swelling go down a bit.

Cron went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Saturday's comeback victory over the Rangers.

Cron got off to a rough start with three strikeouts in his first three plate appearances, but he totally redeemed himself with a game-tying two-run shot in the ninth inning. The 27-year-old added a sacrifice fly in a three-run 10th inning that sealed the deal for the Halos. Saturday's late heroics provided a snapshot of Cron's 2017 campaign, where he got off to a slow start before exploding in the second half. The slugging first baseman is batting .299 with 10 homers and 30 RBI since the All-Star break.

Flores suffered a broken nose during Saturday's game, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Flores fouled a ball off his face and apparently the injury was as bad as it looked. He figures to miss a decent chunk of time, possibly the rest of the season. Asdrubal Cabrera, Jose Reyes and Matt Reynolds will all be in the mix for starts at third in Flores' absence.

Hoskins left Saturday's game after being hit in the hand by a pitch, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

He waived his right hand in pain after being hit in the seventh. The training staff gave him the OK to stay in initially, but Hoskins was lifted as part of a double switch in the bottom of the frame. If there's swelling overnight, Hoskins may be forced to sit out the series finale. The 24-year-old homered yet again prior his exit and is now up to 12 through 24 big-league games.