MLB Player News

Sheets is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Giants.

The Giants are sending southpaw Robbie Ray to the mound Thursday, so the left-handed-hitting Sheets will take a seat. Jase Bowen has the start in left field and is batting ninth.

Clemens went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Royals.

Down to his final strike, Clemens launched a Matt Strahm slider over the right-field fence for a grand slam, giving the Twins an improbable 4-3 victory. It was Clemens' 19th homer of the season, matching his career high, and his fifth off a left-handed pitcher. The 30-year-old, who got the start in right field Thursday, has gone 10-for-33 (.303) over his last eight games, boosting his slash line to .244/.300/.493 across 382 plate appearances this year with 53 RBI, 51 runs scored and seven stolen bases.

Young is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Marlins.

It marks two straight games on the bench for Young, though the first of those was the second game of a doubleheader. Brett Baty is covering first base for the Mets in the series opener versus Miami.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Wednesday that Kurtz will undergo an MRI on Thursday after X-rays on his left forearm were "kind of unclear," Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Kurtz was forced to depart Wednesday's contest versus the Red Sox after being struck on the forearm by a Patrick Sandoval pitch. The Athletics should offer an update on the star first baseman's status later Thursday. Kurtz just returned from the injured list less than a week ago after missing time with a thumb injury.

Olson went 2-for-8 with a home run and three RBI across both games of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Mets.

The star first baseman generated all of Atlanta's offense on the day, launching a two-run shot off Sean Manaea in a 3-2 win for New York during the matinee before driving in the only run of the nightcap on a sixth-inning single. Olson is up to 28 homers on the season, including three in 13 games since the All-Star break -- a stretch in which he's produced a .240/.356/.460 slash line with two doubles, eight RBI and nine runs.

Murakami went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and three runs scored Wednesday against the Yankees.

Murakami delivered a clutch home run in the eighth inning to tie the game at 4-4. He also scored a game-tying run in the 11th frame. After starting slowly following his return from the injured list in mid-July, Murakami is now in the midst of a six-game hitting streak, during which he's gone 8-for-24 with three home runs, seven RBI and eight runs scored.

Manzardo went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in a 6-1 win over the Reds on Wednesday.

Manzardo reached base safely three times in Wednesday's game as he continues his mini power surge over his last seven games. In those games, Manzardo has three homers and eight RBI to go along with a .714 slugging percentage, but he is struggling overall on the season with a .154 average (4-for-26) and 12 strikeouts since the break and is batting just .210 for the season.

Kurtz was removed from Wednesday's game against the Red Sox after getting hit on the forearm by a pitch, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Kurtz initially remained in the game after taking a 95-mph sinker off his left arm in the first inning, but he was replaced in the field at the start of the second frame. The A's have officially diagnosed him with a contusion, per Gallegos, which suggests that Kurtz managed to escape the incident without suffering a fracture. Jeff McNeil entered the game as Kurtz's replacement at first base and would be the favorite to start if the latter needs to miss time.

Torkelson went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 10-9, extra-innings loss to the Orioles.

After the Tigers blew a 7-0 lead in what could end up being Tarik Skubal's final start for the team, Torkelson kept his squad alive by taking Rico Garcia deep in the 11th inning to tie the game at 9-9 before the O's eventually prevailed. It was Torkelson's 20th homer of the season and his fourth in 13 games since the All-Star break, a stretch in which he's batting .222 (10-for-45) with eight runs and 11 RBI.

Young is not in the Mets' starting lineup against Atlanta for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

Young will be on the bench while Eric Wagaman starts at first base and bats eighth for the second game of Wednesday's twin bill. Young went 1-for-2 with a walk in the first game, which was a 3-2 win for the Mets.