MLB Player News

The Orioles optioned Bannon to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.

With outfielder Austin Hays (hand) returning to the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Yankees and infielder Jorge Mateo (shoulder/chest) perhaps in line to start Wednesday, manager Brandon Hyde said getting an extra arm in the bullpen was a greater priority than keeping Bannon around as position-player depth. Reliever Logan Gillaspie was called up from Norfolk to replace Bannon, who appeared in four games and went 2-for-14 with five strikeouts during his brief time in the big leagues.

Stott will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Tuesday's game against the Padres.

Stott will be awarded his third start in four games, but he still looks like he may be stuck in a timeshare at shortstop with Johan Camargo until Didi Gregorius (knee) returns from the IL. The rookie recently turned in a career-best performance at the plate in Friday's 12-10 win over the Dodgers, going 2-for-3 with two walks, three RBI and two runs. In his first 13 big-league games, Stott hit .111 with two walks, four RBI and one run.

Rengifo (elbow) is starting at second base and batting sixth Tuesday against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Rengifo has been sidelined the past few days by a bruised elbow, but he'll retake the field for Tuesday's matchup with Texas. The 25-year-old is 4-for-14 with a double and three runs through seven games this season.

Lowe said Tuesday that he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his lower back and won't be available to resume baseball activities for at least three weeks, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Even if Lowe is cleared for baseball activities in the first week of June once he's re-evaluated, he'll more than likely require at least one more week beyond that to regain his conditioning as well as his timing at the plate, so fantasy managers should probably plan on his absence extending until at least mid-June. Tampa Bay called up Isaac Paredes from Triple-A Durham after Lowe was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday, and Paredes and Vidal Brujan could stand to benefit the most from a playing-time perspective while the 27-year-old is on the shelf.

Marte will sit for the afternoon portion of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Dodgers.

Marte has hit .333/.419/.630 over his last 15 games, a dramatic reversal from the .135/.207/.203 line he recorded over his first 20. He won't be asked to start twice in one day Tuesday, so Jake Hager will get the call at second base for the afternoon contest.

Lux isn't starting Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Diamondbacks, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Lux will take a seat against lefty Tyler Gilbert after starting two straight contests, going 2-for-7 over those games including a walk-off two-run double on Sunday. Max Muncy will start at second base while Hanser Alberto enters the lineup at third base.

Urias went 2-for-3 with a walk in Monday's 1-0 win over Atlanta.

The 24-year-old matched the entire Atlanta roster by reaching base three times in the game. Urias has hit the ground running after missing the first four weeks of the season with a quad strain, batting .302 (13-for-43) in 12 games with two homers, six RBI and nine runs.

Brujan went 1-for-4 and was caught stealing Monday against the Tigers.

Brujan should be locked into a consistent role at second base with Brandon Lowe (back) on the injured list. Brujan hit fifth Monday, and his lone knock was a single to lead off the seventh frame. Earlier in the contest, he had reached base on a fielder's choice and was caught attempting to steal for the second time this season. He's now just 1-for-3 on the basepaths, a concerning trend given that stolen bases are his primary path to fantasy value. Brujan has done little else of note with his playing time, posting just a .143/.182/.238 line across 22 plate appearances. On the positive side, he has maintained a 9.1 percent strikeout rate.

Castro went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's win over the Rays.

The home run, Castro's first of the season, came at a great time, as it put the Tigers ahead 3-2 in the top of the ninth inning. The utility player is a solid contact hitter, as evidenced by his .306 batting average, but he's never provided much pop. Castro's career high for home runs in a season is five, which he recorded back in 2019. He had just three long balls in 106 games last year.

Biggio was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Monday and optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.

Biggio hit just .043/.214/.043 in 13 games prior to his absence. With Santiago Espinal emerging as an everyday second baseman, Biggio no longer has a starting spot available, though it's still somewhat surprising that his defensive versatility didn't earn him a bench role. It may take an injury ahead of him for Biggio to return to the big leagues.