MLB Player News

Wagner is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox.

Earlier Monday, Wagner played the final eight innings of a game against the Red Sox that was originally suspended in the second inning back on June 26. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the game, which will go down as his MLB debut, despite the fact that he wasn't promoted from Triple-A Buffalo until Aug. 12. Leo Jimenez will cover second base in place of Wagner in the nightcap.

Horwitz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox.

Horwitz will get a breather after he played seven innings earlier in the day in the Blue Jays' 4-1 win in the resumption of a game that had been suspended June 26 in the second inning. With Horwitz on the bench for the nightcap, Vladimir Guerrero will start at first base and George Springer will serve as Toronto's designated hitter.

Garcia is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.

The lefty-hitting Garcia will hit the bench in the series opener with the Yankees sending southpaw Nestor Cortes to the mound. Idlemaro Vargas will check in for Garcia in the Washington infield, occupying second base and batting eighth.

Julien is out of the lineup for Monday's game against Atlanta.

The lefty-hitting Julien had started in each of the last four games at second base, but he'll head to the bench Monday while Atlanta sends southpaw Max Fried to the hill. Julien could be at risk of losing out on his large-side platoon role and may even be demoted to Triple-A St. Paul at some point during the upcoming week, as fellow infielder Brooks Lee (bicep/shoulder) looks to be nearing a return from the 10-day injured list.

Merrifield will start at second base and bat leadoff in Monday's game against the Twins.

Merrifield will get his first look in the leadoff role while Michael Harris takes a seat after injuring his hand in Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Nationals. Assuming he avoids a trip to the injured list, Harris should eventually settle back in atop the lineup, but Merrifield still looks as though he'll retain a prominent spot in the batting order. After mostly hitting eighth or ninth in his first three weeks with Atlanta, Merrifield had batted either second or sixth in his last five starts before getting the leadoff nod Monday. Merrifield's ascension in the lineup comes while he's reached base in each of his last 19 starts while slashing a robust .279/.413/.410 over that stretch.

Massey is out of the lineup for the second game of Monday's doubleheader with the Guardians.

Maikel Garcia will step in at the keystone in place of the lefty-hitting Massey, who will hit the bench for the nightcap while the Guardians send southpaw Logan Allen to the bump. Massey played all nine innings of the Royals' 4-3 win in Game 1, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

Frazier is out of the lineup for the second game of Monday's doubleheader with the Guardians.

Though he won't end up starting in either game of the twin bill, Frazier came off the bench in the Royals' 4-3 win earlier in the day and played three innings in right field while striking out in both of his at-bats. The lefty-hitting Frazier could be a deployed off the bench once again in the nightcap once Cleveland southpaw Logan Allen exits the contest.

Manager Derek Shelton said Monday that Kiner-Falefa will serve as the Pirates' primary shortstop for the rest of the season, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

With Oneil Cruz having struggled defensively at shortstop in 2024 after a fractured ankle cut his 2023 season short, the Pirates are planning to transition him to center field over the final month of the campaign. Cruz's move to the outfield keeps an everyday spot in the infield available for Kiner-Falefa, who might have otherwise been at risk of moving into a utility role when Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) returned from the injured list at some point in September. As a member of the Yankees in 2023, Kiner-Falefa made just one start at shortstop, but he should carry eligibility at the position in fantasy leagues in 2025 after having already made 16 starts at shortstop this season prior to Shelton's announcement Monday.

The Pirates activated Gonzales (groin) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Gonzales missed a month of action with a left groin strain but is ready to roll after going 5-for-15 with one home run in four rehab contests with Triple-A Indianapolis. The 25-year-old will operate as the team's primary second baseman down the stretch. Gonzales has slashed .258/.293/.387 with five home runs and three steals in 65 games for the Pirates in 2024.

Altuve is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Altuve will exit the lineup for just the sixth time all season in what appears to be a mental day off after he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Orioles. Shay Whitcomb will spell Altuve at second base while Alex Bregman climbs up from the two-hole to fill Altuve's usual spot atop the lineup.