MLB Player News

Westburg is not in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Rangers.

Westburg had started each of the previous eight contests, but he'll begin this one on the bench as the Orioles face right-hander Max Scherzer. Baltimore will go with Jorge Mateo at second base and Ramon Urias at third.

Alexander is not in the lineup for Friday's contest against the Guardians.

After starting each of the first two games upon his recall, the left-handed hitting Alexander has now been out of the lineup for three straight, and they've all been against righties. Nick Loftin is again handling third base and looks to be the preferred option of the two at the hot corner.

Jung (wrist) will attempt to swing a bat Friday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Jung's return has been delayed due to inflammation in his surgically repaired right wrist, but he's ready to test things out swinging a bat after resting for a week and receiving a cortisone shot. The third baseman could be activated soon if things go well in the cage Friday, but when Jung does return he might be eased back into action by playing every other day or receiving one off day per series, according to Grant. Jung has been sidelined since early April.

Sano went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-0 victory against Detroit on Thursday.

Sano got a second straight start and put the Angels on the board in the first inning with a solo shot to center field. On a less positive note, the veteran slugger struck out in his other three at-bats, and he's fanned five times over nine plate appearances since returning from the injured list June 25. Sano's big-league resume suggests he can offer the Angels plenty of pop, but his 40 percent strikeout rate on the campaign highlights his primary weakness as a hitter.

Rengifo went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Thursday's win over the Tigers.

Rengifo increased the Angels' lead to five runs with a two-out, two-run blast in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving the second baseman his first long ball since May 24. The performance marked his eighth multi-hit performance this month and the third in his four contests, raising his season batting average to .312. The home run was Rengifo's fifth of the campaign.

LeMahieu is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Toronto.

LeMahieu is still without an extra-base hit this season and has tallied just one single across his last five games. Oswaldo Cabrera will occupy third base for the Yankees in their series opener versus the Blue Jays.

Urias isn't in the Orioles' lineup for Thursday's game against the Rangers, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

After making three straight starts at third base, Urias has now been absent from the Orioles' last three starting lineups. Jordan Westburg will move to the hot corner Thursday while Jorge Mateo starts at the keystone and bats ninth.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs in a loss to the Angels on Wednesday.

Fresh off a three-hit night Tuesday, Alvarez drew a second consecutive start and continued contributing in small-ball fashion Wednesday. The 29-year-old rookie's stolen base was a nice bonus, as he's not been very prolific in that category throughout his long minor-league career (28-for-42 across 709 games). Alvarez's encouraging play could continue to allow him to carve out semi-regular playing time around the infield for the time being, with Abraham Toro's (hamstring) recent placement on the IL being the primary catalyst for the former's long-awaited arrival in the big leagues.

Wendzel started at third base and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Milwaukee.

With Corey Seager resting, Josh Smith started at shortstop, opening up third base for Wendzel. Prior to Wednesday, that used to mean Ezequiel Duran would play the hot corner, but the Rangers optioned the underperforming Duran to Triple-A Round Rock amid a mini roster shakeup. Wendzel is 6-for-40 with a home run, two doubles and two RBI over 23 games this season. Eventually, Josh Jung (wrist) will return to solidify third base.

Miranda went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI in Wednesday's win over the Diamondbacks while also drawing a walk.

Miranda kicked off the scoring for Minnesota with a three-run double in the second and went on to reach base four times in the contest -- which he's now done twice in his last three games. It marked the third time that the third baseman has driven in three runs and logged multiple hits over his last five contests, increasing his average to .329 in June. Miranda has also drawn a walk in four straight games.