MLB Player News

Castro is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

After holding down a regular spot in the lineup for much of the second half of the season, Castro will end up sitting out for a second straight contest as Detroit wraps up the 2022 campaign. Even on a rebuilding squad like the Tigers, the 28-year-old is probably still ideally suited for a utility role. He provided a strong .271 batting average over his 443 plate appearances this season, but a low walk rate (3.9 percent) and lack of power (.110 ISO) or speed (no stolen bases) limited his usefulness.

Espinal (oblique) took live batting practice and was involved in infield drills during a workout Wednesday in Toronto, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Espinal won't be activated from the 10-day injured list in advance of the Blue Jays' season-closing doubleheader in Baltimore on Wednesday, but he looks like he could be a candidate for inclusion on Toronto's wild-card round roster in advance of the team's Game 1 matchup with the Mariners on Friday. If he shows enough progress in his recovery from the oblique strain for the Blue Jays to include him on the postseason roster, Espinal may have to settle for a utility role. While Espinal has been on the shelf since Sept. 22, Whit Merrifield has seized control of the keystone and has produced a monstrous 1.237 OPS over his last 10 contests.

McNeil went 3-for-8 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored across both games of Tuesday's doubleheader sweep of the Nationals.

The Mets launched back-to-back-to-back homers to lead off the nightcap, with McNeil following Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor in that train. The 30-year-old utility player is on the verge of winning his first career batting title, as McNeil leads the NL with a .326 batting average -- well ahead of the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman at .322 with only one day left on the calendar.

Rodgers went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-2 win against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Rodgers took Los Angeles starter Julio Urias deep to left in the first inning and added a single in the third for his third multi-hit performance in his last five games. During the stretch, the 26-year-old is 9-for-18 with two home runs, a double and three walks and has boosted his season OPS from .710 to .736.

Miller went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Royals.

Miller capped off the Guardians' five-run fifth inning with his homer, which was his sixth of the season. It also ended up being just enough for Cleveland to earn the win. Since the start of September, Miller has gone 16-for-63 (.254) with three extra-base hits, seven RBI and six runs scored. That's just a tick better than his .243/.301/.351 slash line for the year. The infielder has added 51 RBI, 53 runs scored, 26 doubles, a triple and two stolen bases while serving as a short-side platoon option at designated hitter, first base and second base.

Arraez (hamstring) went 1-for-4 in Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the White Sox.

Arraez missed the last two games while dealing with a hamstring issue, and he served as the designated hitter in this contest. He extended his hitting streak to eight games, a span in which he's gone 12-for-35 (.343) with one double, one RBI and five runs scored. The infielder is slashing .315/.372/.418 with eight home runs, 49 RBI, 86 runs scored and four stolen bases through 143 games.

Andrus went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, an additional run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 8-3 win over the Twins.

Andrus has racked up three homers among his six hits over four games to begin October. The shortstop's hot stretch to close out the year has lifted his season slash line to .250/.304/.407 with 17 homers, 18 steals, 58 RBI and 66 runs scored through 148 games between the White Sox and the Athletics.

Manager Dusty Baker said Altuve will rest Wednesday against the Phillies in the final game of the regular season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Altuve went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored during Tuesday's 10-0 victory, raising his slash line to .300/.387/.533 through 141 games. The 32-year-old totaled 39 doubles, 28 home runs, 18 stolen bases, 57 RBI and 102 runs this season, and he'll now turn his attention to the playoffs, which the Astros will begin Oct. 11 in the ALDS.

Rojas went 1-for-3 with a steal in Tuesday's loss against the Brewers.

Rojas was one of the lone bright spots for Arizona, as he recorded the team's sole hit on the night. The hit, a single to lead off the seventh inning, spoiled Milwaukee's bid for a combined no-hitter and put him in position to swipe second base, which he did successfully. The stolen base was his 23rd of the season and third in his last five games. Over 506 plate appearances in 2022, Rojas has slashed .267/.347/.380.

Urias went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and two RBI in Tuesday's victory over Arizona.

Urias produced two of Milwaukee's three runs Tuesday, getting to Arizona ace Zac Gallen for a couple of extra-base hits. His solo shot in the third inning, Urias' 16th on the season, put Milwaukee up 2-0, and he later smacked a double to score Jace Peterson in the fifth inning. Over his last 10 games dating back to Sept. 20, Urias is batting .382 (13-for-34) with five extra-base hits, four RBI and six runs scored.