MLB Player News

Rizzo isn't starting the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Astros.

Rizzo started at first base during Thursday's matinee and went 1-for-4. He'll get a breather while Aaron Judge serves as the designated hitter with Tim Locastro starting in right field.

Gurriel is out of the lineup for Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Yankees, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Gurriel started the matinee and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout during Houston's victory. J.J. Matijevic, who walked off New York in Game 1 with an RBI single, will start at first base in the nightcap.

Triple-A Worcester is expected to reinstate Casas (ankle) from its 7-day injured list this weekend, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Casas' sprained right ankle has kept him from playing for Worcester since May 17 and also caused him to miss last weekend's All-Star Futures Game, but the 22-year-old first baseman looks as though he'll be ready to go when the Triple-A club resumes its second-half schedule. Before the All-Star break, Casas appeared in four rehab games for Boston's rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate, going 6-for-14 with a home run, three doubles and three walks.

Clemens was called up from Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.

Clemens will be back with the Tigers following the All-Star break after he was sent down to Triple-A on July 11. The 26-year-old has produced a disappointing .161 average with three home runs, eight RBI, eight runs and a stolen base over his first 56 major-league at-bats, which covers a span of 25 games.

The Mets placed Smith on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right ankle sprain.

The transaction is retroactive to Sunday, so Smith will be eligible to come off the IL as soon as July 27. The Mets have yet to announce a corresponding roster move, but Smith's placement on the IL should open up more reps against right-handed pitching for Luis Guillorme or J.D. Davis.

Steer has gone 13 straight games without a homer at Triple-A St. Paul, though he's still hit .260 with a .362 OBP and 8:9 BB:K in that span.

He's hit four doubles and a triple in that time, too, so it's not like Steer's extra-base power has dried up altogether even while he's been stuck on 19 home runs since June 24. Even with this power outage, he still has a solid .253/.344/.531 line in Triple-A, and that's with an uncharacteristically low .259 BABIP. Steer's bat ought to write his ticket to the big leagues before too much longer, though the Twins' overcrowded infield remains an impediment.

Tellez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Giants.

Tellez's eighth-inning blast off Jakob Junis was his 18th of the season, leaving him one behind Willy Adames -- who hit a solo shot in the first inning -- for the team lead. Before leaving the yard in the Brewers' final game before the All-Star break, Tellez had endured a prolonged power outage, as he produced no extra-base hits in any of his previous nine contests.

France went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an RBI single in a 6-2 win over the Rangers on Sunday.

France showed why he was named to the AL All-Star squad with a two-RBI performance that helped the Mariners extend their winning streak to 14 games. His towering home run off Glenn Otto in the fifth was all the offense the Mariners would need to secure the win, and he added an insurance run later in the game. The first baseman is hitting .308 on the season with a 14.8% strikeout rate.

Wade went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 9-5 win over the Brewers.

Wade blew the game open with his third-inning blast, which stretched the Giants' lead to 7-1. Injuries have limited his chances to build momentum, but he's yet to have a multi-hit effort since returning from a knee injury June 29. Four of his seven hits since that date have gone for extra bases. The 28-year-old owns a .181/.294/.347 slash line with three homers, 14 RBI, seven runs scored, a triple and a double through 85 plate appearances. Wade is likely to be limited to playing against right-handed pitchers until he can show more consistency at the plate.

Vaughn went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double, three RBI, a run scored and a walk in an 11-0 victory Sunday in Minnesota.

Vaughn drove in two with a double in the fifth and tacked on a solo homer in the seventh off reliever Joe Smith. It was his fourth straight multi-hit game, and he is 9-for-17 with two homers and nine RBI in those contests. The recent offensive outburst has pushed his batting average over .300 as he heads into the All-Star break with a .301/.350/.470 slash line and 10 homers in 72 games.