MLB Player News

Diaz (knee) will bat leadoff as the Rays' designated hitter Sunday against the Padres, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The 33-year-old was on the bench for Saturday's contest after he exited Friday's game due to left knee patellar tendinitis, but he's back in action Sunday for the series finale. Diaz finished August with a hot bat and has a .349/.396/.558 slash line with three doubles and two homers in his past 12 games.

Bauers is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

As usual, the lefty-hitting Bauers will take a seat while the Reds send a southpaw (Brandon Williamson) to the bump for the series finale. Bauers' grasp on a regular spot in the lineup against righties also appears to be loosening, as he was on the bench for two of the Brewers' previous four matchups with opposite-handed pitchers.

Alonso went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored Saturday in a 5-3 victory versus the White Sox.

Alonso gave New York an early lead with his first-inning, two-run shot to left-center field. It was his 30th homer of the campaign, marking the fifth time in six career seasons he's reached that total (the only exception was the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign). In August, Alonso posted a .250 batting average with eight homers, 19 RBI and 16 runs over 104 at-bats.

Freeman went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Saturday's 8-6 win over the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers opened the game with three straight homers, with Freeman's giving them a 3-0 lead early against Merrill Kelly. Freeman also had an RBI single in the second inning. He's homered in both of the last two games after taking a three-game break to rest and manage a hairline fracture in his right middle finger that he appears prepared to play through heading into September. The first baseman is up to a .286/.382/.486 slash line, 19 homers, 78 RBI, 72 runs scored and six stolen bases through 124 contests this season.

Cronenworth went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and a double in Saturday's 11-4 loss to the Rays.

Cronenworth opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the first inning and fell a triple shy of the cycle in an otherwise forgettable game for the Padres. He has hit safely in six straight contests and eight of his past 10 overall, driving in five and scoring six runs in that span. On the season, the 30-year-old is hitting .250 with 16 home runs, 78 RBI, 67 runs scored and four stolen bases across 564 plate appearances.

Kavadas is absent from Saturday's lineup against the Mariners, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Kavadas will take a seat Saturday after going 0-for-4 on Friday. Matt Thaiss will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth.

Wade is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Miami, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Wade broke out of his four-game hitless slump Friday, when he went 1-for-3 with a double. Mark Canha will start at first base and bat second.

Bell is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Dodgers.

Bell opened up the series going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI in Friday's 10-9 loss. Pavin Smith starts at first base Saturday, batting fifth.

The Yankees optioned Rice to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

Rice quickly cooled down after a hot start to his MLB career, putting up a .174/.269/.356 slash line across 175 plate appearances for the Yankees. With Anthony Rizzo (forearm) expected to return from the 60-day injured list Sunday, the 25-year-old Rice will now give up his roster spot and head back to Triple-A, where he can continue to receive regular reps at first base.

Atlanta traded Gurriel (undisclosed) to the Royals on Saturday in exchange for cash, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

After claiming Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman off waivers earlier in the day, the Royals continue to add depth to their organization by acquiring Gurriel in a minor-league trade. The 40-year-old first baseman has had a nice season at Triple-A Gwinnett, slashing .292/.378/.485 with 12 homers and 48 RBI across 75 games, though he has been on the injured list since Aug. 23 due to an unspecified injury. Once he recovers, the Royals would need to add him to their 40-man roster before he could potentially make his season debut with Kansas City.