MLB Player News

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Barger (elbow) will fly back to Toronto soon to be examined by the medical staff before potentially beginning a rehab assignment, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The Blue Jays initially hoped Barger would be ready for a rehab assignment last week, but he's still feeling a bit of soreness in his right elbow at times when hitting. A revised timeline pointed toward Barger kicking off his rehab assignment Thursday, but it's unclear whether that could still happen. The 26-year-old has been sidelined since mid-May due to right elbow inflammation.

The Red Sox announced that Durbin was removed from Wednesday's game against the Rockies in the third inning due to a partial dislocation of his left pinkie finger, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Durbin went 0-for-2 before being lifted from the contest after suffering the injury while sliding into first base as he attempted to beat out an infield single. Interim manager Chad Tracy will likely elaborate further on Durbin's situation after the game, but for the time being, the 26-year-old infielder can be viewed as day-to-day. Durbin bats from the right side and throws right-handed, but the injury to his non-dominant hand could still present discomfort for him in the field and/or when he swings.

Rosario is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Detroit.

Ace lefty Tarik Skubal is on the bump for the Tigers, marking the first time all season that Rosario has not been in the lineup versus a southpaw when he was on the active roster. Jose Caballero will cover third base for the Yankees.

Durbin was removed from Wednesday's game against the Rockies prior to the bottom of the third inning due to an apparent injury, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports. He went 0-for-2 prior to leaving the game.

Though the nature of Durbin's injury isn't yet known, he appeared to get hurt while sliding into first base as he attempted to leg out an infield single in the top of the third inning. For the bottom half of the frame, Anthony Seigler slid over from second base to cover the hot corner in place of Durbin, who owns a .635 OPS on the season but had been one of the Red Sox's hottest hitters with a .317/.343/.587 slash line through his first 18 games of June heading into Wednesday. The Red Sox should have an update on Durbin's condition later in the day.

Keith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The left-handed-hitting Keith will be on the bench for the second day in a row while the Yankees send another lefty starter (Ryan Weathers) to the bump. Keith has logged just 13 plate appearances versus lefties all season, reaching base on only two occasions.

Alexander will start at third base and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Angels, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Alexander exited Monday's series opener due to a right knee contusion and was held out of Tuesday's 5-1 loss, but the day off was apparently all that he needed to move past the minor injury. He'll settle back in at third base, where he appears to have supplanted Coby Mayo as the Orioles' preferred option. Dating back to the beginning of June, Alexander has submitted a .413/.451/.674 slash line with two home runs, two stolen bases, nine RBI and seven runs in 17 games.

The Yankees placed McMahon on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a throat infection.

Per Jack Curry of YES Network, McMahon is also recovering from an ear infection. McMahon hadn't played since Sunday, and with the Yankees' upcoming schedule being heavy against left-handed pitching, the decision was made to put the lefty-swinging third baseman on the shelf. He's expected to return from the IL when first eligible July 3. Jose Caballero, Amed Rosario and Oswaldo Cabrera could share the third-base job while McMahon is out.

Okamoto went 3-for-4 with two walks, a run scored and three RBI in Tuesday's 9-7 extra-inning loss to the Astros.

His two-run single in the eighth inning looked like it might give Toronto the win, but the bullpen couldn't make a 6-4 lead stick. Okamoto has six hits and seven RBI in the last three games, continuing a June surge that has seen the 29-year-old third baseman deliver a .324/.397/.603 slash line over 19 games this month with five homers, 12 runs and 16 RBI.

Vargas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Guardians.

Vargas took Parker Messick deep in the sixth inning for a solo homer that ultimately stood as the game-winning run. The blast was his 17th home run of the season. While Vargas opened June with a nine-game hitting streak, he has cooled considerably since then, batting just .139 (5-for-36) over his last 10 games with his only RBI coming from Tuesday's blast.

Manager Mark Kotsay said after Tuesday's game against San Francisco that Gelof didn't suffer a fracture in his hand and won't require stitches, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old suffered a laceration and contusion when Matt Chapman stepped on his hand in the second inning of Tuesday's contest, but it doesn't seem like Gelof suffered any major injuries during the encounter. That said, Max Muncy could still see an uptick in playing time if Gelof needs to miss a game or two.