MLB Player News

Toro isn't starting Friday against the Mets.

Toro is in the midst of a slump in which he's gone 0-for-10 with two strikeouts, and he'll be out of the lineup for a second straight game. Eugenio Suarez will start at third base while Mike Ford serves as the designated hitter.

Walls isn't starting Friday against the Blue Jays.

Walls will be out of the lineup for the third time in the last six matchups after hitting just .045 with two runs, a stolen base, two walks and nine strikeouts over his last seven games. Yandy Diaz will shift to the hot corner while Ji-Man Choi starts at first base.

Moncada went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Thursday's loss to the Yankees.

Moncada took reliever Jonathan Loaisiga deep in the seventh inning for a three-run shot that temporarily tied the game 7-7. The long ball was the third baseman's first of the season and also netted his first three RBI of the campaign. This was just the third game of 2022 for Moncada, who missed the first month of the season due to an oblique injury.

Donaldson went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in a 15-7 victory versus the White Sox on Thursday.

Donaldson hit one of four Yankees homers in the win, swatting a three-run shot to left field in the eighth inning to blow things open. It was the veteran's first long ball since April 23 and just his third overall this season. Donaldson is slashing a modest .224/.345/.378 over 116 plate appearances on the campaign.

Urshela isn't starting Thursday's regularly scheduled game against the Astros.

Urshela will get a breather after he went 0-for-5 with a strikeout during Wednesday's suspended game. Jose Miranda will take over at the hot corner and bat fifth.

Duffy (illness) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.

Duffy has been on the COVID-19 injured list since May 1, but he's been cleared to return to game action with the minor-league club. The team hasn't indicated how many rehab games Duffy will require prior to rejoining the major-league club, but he'll presumably reclaim a part-time role once he's cleared for big-league games.

Rivera will start at third base and bat sixth in Thursday's game against the Rangers, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

After coming off the bench to provide a three-run triple in Wednesday's 8-2 win, Rivera will be rewarded with his second start in three games. The righty-hitting Rivera should have a good chance of sticking in the lineup when the Royals face left-handed pitching, either as a replacement for Ryan O'Hearn or MJ Melendez.

Mead is batting .308/.402/.549 with four homers, 10 doubles and a 10:15 BB:K through 25 games for Double-A Montgomery.

Mead entered the season with a reputation as a high-contact, doubles-over-homers hitter (15 long balls and 38 doubles across three levels last year), and that's exactly what he's been so far in 2022. The power production may never be elite, but he's just 21 and has time to grow into more; meanwhile, with his gap-to-gap approach and low strikeout rate, it looks like he'll have a great shot at hitting for average in the majors.

Urias (abdomen) is unavailable for Thursday's game against the Cardinals, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with abdominal discomfort, and he'll be unavailable for a third consecutive game to close out the series in St. Louis. Rylan Bannon is starting at third base after being recalled Thursday, while Urias won't be available as a bench option. However, Urias remains day-to-day ahead of the Orioles' upcoming series in Detroit.

Kreidler (hand) has recently been participating in strengthening activities, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Kreidler underwent surgery on his fractured right hand in late April, but he's been able to work on his recovery approximately two weeks after the procedure. The 24-year-old still has several steps to take before he's in consideration to return to game action, but he's progressing well so far.