MLB Player News

Espinal is not in the starting lineup Sunday versus the Red Sox.

Espinal will get a breather Sunday after he went 3-for-10 with three RBI and five runs scored in the first two contests of the series. Cavan Biggio will start at second base and bat sixth in the series finale.

Lopez is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale versus the Rays.

Lopez will get a day off after he went 4-for-8 with two runs scored and a stolen base in the first two games of the series. Emmanuel Rivera will take over at the hot corner and bat seventh against Tampa Bay.

Rosario went 3-for-9 with a triple, three RBI, a run scored and a stolen base across both games of Saturday's doubleheader versus the White Sox.

Rosario did most of his work with a pair of singles, a steal and a run in the first game, though he added an RBI triple in the nightcap. The shortstop has nine multi-hit efforts in his last 20 games, batting .325 (25-for-77) in that span. For the season, he's slashing .295/.333/.412 with four home runs, 10 steals, 33 RBI, 54 runs scored, six triples and 17 doubles through 87 contests.

Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Rays.

Merrifield provided a two-run double in the third inning, but he was thrown out trying to steal third to end the frame. He returned from a toe injury Friday and went 0-for-4, and Saturday's performance was far more impressive. Merrifield has now hit sixth in his last two games, with MJ Melendez instead batting leadoff, though neither of them have sustained a solid batting average this year. Merrifield is up to a .243/.294/.347 slash line with five home runs, 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts, 38 RBI and 45 runs scored through 381 plate appearances.

Short was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after Saturday's loss to the Twins, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Shorts was optioned to make room for Rony Garcia (shoulder) to return from 15-day injured list to start Sunday. After being called up Thursday, the 27-year-old went 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in his only appearance in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader versus the Athletics.

Kemp isn't starting Saturday against the Rangers.

Kemp started the last two games and went 1-for-7 with an RBI and a walk. Chad Pinder will take his place in left field and bat fifth.

Hernandez (hip) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

He last played June 7, so we know that he won't be back until early August at the earliest. Hernandez has been working out but hasn't resumed baseball activities. This move allowed Jaylin Davis to be added to the active roster.

Hernandez (hip) has been working out recently but hasn't yet resumed baseball activities, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Hernandez visited with a hip specialist in mid-July after being pulled from his rehab assignment, and he received a platelet-rich plasma injection. While it's encouraging that he's been cleared to work out, he's unlikely to have a better timetable to return to game action until he's able to resume baseball activities.

Lopez went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 7-3 loss to the Rays.

Lopez has hit .364 (8-for-22) during a six-game hitting streak, and he's picked up a pair of stolen bases in that span. The light-hitting infielder is up to a .244/.296/.290 slash line with seven steals, 13 RBI, 32 runs scored, 11 doubles and a triple through 87 contests. Even with more consistency at the plate, Lopez's lack of power makes it likely his contributions are limited to speed and a fairly empty average.

Espinal went 2-for-6 with a walk, four runs and an RBI in Friday's 28-5 win over the Red Sox.

Fresh off making his first appearance in the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, Espinal demonstrated why he was named an All-Star in the first place with a big performance in the Blue Jays' first game of the second half. His four runs tied Teoscar Hernandez and Danny Jansen for the team lead on a night the Blue Jays scored 25 times in the first five innings alone.