MLB Player News

McNeil went 3-for-5 in Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Royals.

McNeil hit leadoff for the second game in a row with Brandon Nimmo (quadriceps) sidelined again. Since the start of July, McNeil is batting just .247 (24-for-97) over 25 contests, slightly lower than his .256 mark for the season. The second baseman has added a paltry .661 OPS with three home runs, 34 RBI, 46 runs scored and five stolen bases across 106 games.

Kemp was removed from Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Kemp made an incredible effort in a failed attempt to catch a foul ball during the sixth inning, jumping over the wall in the process. Cody Thomas later came in to pinch hit for Kemp, so it's possible the 31-year-old injured himself, or the Athletics opted to sub in their bench players during a lopsided contest. If Kemp turns out to be hurt, the A's should provide an update on his status.

Kim went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's 11-1 victory over the Rockies.

Kim led off Wednesday's contest with a solo homer off Kyle Freeland, his 15th of the year. The 27-year-old Kim is now 4-for-8 to start August after batting .337 (30-for-89) with five home runs and a .999 OPS across 24 games in July. Kim has certainly embraced the leadoff role in San Diego -- his slash line is up to .284/.380/.838 with 60 runs scored, 41 RBI and 22 stolen bases through 406 plate appearances this season.

Short went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI in Wednesday's win over the Pirates. He also stole a base.

Short didn't enter the contest until the fourth inning, when he pinch hit for Akil Baddoo. He wasted no time making an impact, driving in two on a single in his first at-bat. Short still profiles as more of a utility player at this point who can't be counted on for a consistent fantasy impact, which is reflected in his .673 OPS across 72 games.

The Mets selected Arauz's contract from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

Arauz is starting at second base and batting seventh Wednesday against the Royals in what will be his first major-league game of the year. He had slashed .244/.344/.429 with 14 home runs and two stolen bases through 95 games this summer at the Triple-A level.

Frazier is absent from the lineup Wednesday versus the Blue Jays.

Baltimore will roll with a righty-heavy attack against Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Jordan Westburg is playing second base and batting sixth.

The Nationals optioned Garcia to Triple-A Rochester following Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Brewers, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Garcia, who was on the bench Wednesday but entered the contest late as a pinch hitter, will head back to the minors after going 12-for-61 (.197 average) while drawing just two walks in 18 games since the All-Star break. The Nationals haven't announced an immediate replacement for Garcia, but among players currently on the 26-man active roster, Ildemaro Vargas or Michael Chavis could be first in line to fill in for him at the keystone.

Gorman (back) will start at second base and bat third Wednesday against the Twins.

Gorman was on the bench for the Cardinals' last two games due to back soreness, but he'll be healthy enough to play the field Wednesday. The 23-year-old has made 26 of his starts this season as a designated hitter, but he'll likely see the overwhelming majority of his playing time at second base moving forward with Brendan Donovan (elbow) set to undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Bae (ankle) will have an extended minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the 10-day injured list, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Bae, who landed on the IL on July 2 with the left ankle injury, began his rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Indianapolis and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored while playing five innings at second base. Tomczyk noted that the Pirates want Bae to get time at multiple positions prior to rejoining the big club, so the 24-year-old might not be a candidate for activation until next weekend at the earliest. Even though he'll get exposure to multiple spots, second base might be where Bae ends up seeing his most playing time once he's reinstated. Fellow rookies Liover Peguero and Nick Gonzales have been seeing time at the keystone of late, but both have struggled to keep their strikeouts in check.

Rojas is not in the lineup Wednesday versus Boston.

Acquired from the Diamondbacks on Monday as part of the Paul Sewald trade, Rojas went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his Mariners debut Tuesday against the Red Sox. Dylan Moore (wrist) is back in the lineup at second base Wednesday.