MLB Player News

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu is out of the starting lineup for the first time this season on Wednesday, the team announced. 

Abreu will be replaced by Adam LaRoche at first with Melky Cabrera taking the third slot in the batting order.

"I would prefer to continue to play, stay in the lineup, but Robin made the decision to give me the day off," Abreu said through an interpreter. "I have to be ready just in case the team needs to me for an at-bat or something."

Abreu is hitting .288 with six home runs and 20 RBI in 118 at-bats this season. The White Sox are currently the underdogs (+110) against Milwaukee.

Phillies' Darin Ruf is starting in left field and batting cleanup on Wednesday against the Pirates. Ruf was out of the lineup each of the last two games with a right-hander on the mound. Ruf is batting just .137 against righties this year. 

But with left-hander Francisco Liriano on the bump Wednesday, Ruf will look to break out of a 6-for-30 slump over his last 10 games. 

Ben Revere will slide over and play center field and Ryan Howard moves down to fifth in the batting order on Wednesday. 

Since being recalled from Triple-A, Blue Jays first baseman/outfielder Chris Colabello has provided an offensive lift, hitting in six of his first seven games. 

Colabello has seven hits in his last three games, lifting his average to .538. Colabello hasn't provided much pop, as 11 of his 14 hits have been singles, but has given Toronto a boost in the lower half of the batting order. 

Colabello has played three games in left field and four games in right, and also can play first base. 

Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores went 1 for 3 at the plate in New York's 4-3 win over the Cubs on Monday. Flores did his damage in the sixth inning, crushing a Jon Lester pitch over the left center field wall for a solo home run, his fourth of the season.

Flores is now hitting .242 with 10 RBI in 91 at-bats this season.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo went 1 for 4 at the plate in Chicago's 4-3 win over the Mets on Monday. Rizzo did his damage in the first inning when he ripped a solo home run over the right field wall off of Jacob deGrom, his seventh of the season.

Rizzo moved his average to .327 with 19 RBI in 113 at-bats this season.

With the White Sox beginning an interleague series Monday in Milwaukee, designated hitter Adam LaRoche is out of the lineup with Jose Abreu returning to first base. 

LaRoche had played first in Saturday's and Sunday's interleague game against the Reds, but Abreu had DH'd in the American League park. 

It has been previously reported that the White Sox have considered moving Abreu to third base for interleague games with no DH, in order to keep both he and LaRoche in the lineup.

The Blue Jays will sit outfielder/designated hitter Jose Bautista Monday in Baltimore and set their outfield with Chris Colabello in right field, Ezequiel Carrera in left and start Edwin Encarnacion at DH.

Bautista, who has been dealing with a sore shoulder, has started 12 of the last 13 games for the Blue Jays at DH.

Bautista has also struggled against the Orioles starting pitcher for Monday, Ubaldo Jimenez, going 2 for 29 in his career. 

Carrera will make his first start of the season in left, as all six of his starts this season have been in right.

Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun has hit .379/.455/.552 with one home run and seven RBI in 29 at-bats against left-handed pitching this season.

Calhoun's .476 BABIP has helped key his success against southpaws, which has been a large driver of his .294/.350/.431 line. It's a reversal of his production from last season, when he was stronger against righties and delivered a .710 OPS against lefties.

Calhoun has cooled in May after producing a .860 OPS in April, hitting just .250/.317/.306 in 36 at-bats this month. He has a pair of home games against the Rockies on tap before a three-game weekend series against the Orioles.

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana went 2 for 4 in Sunday's win over Minnesota. Santana drove in three runs, giving him 19 on the year. 

Santana scored once and lifted his average to .240.

The Angels gave Albert Pujols a day off from playing the field by moving the first baseman to designated hitter for Sunday's game. 

C.J. Cron, the normal DH, moves to first. It's the fourth time this season the Angels have made that position switch.