MLB Player News

Donaldson was removed from Friday's lineup due to an illness, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Donaldson should be considered day-to-day after catching a cold that was plaguing a few of his teammates in recent days. If the third baseman is forced to miss any additional time, manager John Gibbons may choose to place Jose Bautista at third and give Ezequiel Carrera a start in the outfield. For the time being, Richard Urena replaces Donaldson in the lineup for the series opener.

Donaldson was scratched from the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

There hasn't been any word as to why Donaldson was removed from Friday's lineup card at this point in time, but the third baseman will miss the series opener following Thursday's scheduled off day. In his place, Richard Urena was placed in the starting nine, batting ninth and manning third base. Donaldson should be considered day-to-day until more information becomes present.

Moustakas is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Twins, 610 Sports Radio - KC reports.

Moustakas will receive a day off to rest his knee, which was irritated during Wednesday's game, and forced the 29-year-old to DH during Thursday's affair. It seems likely that Moustakas will return to the lineup Saturday, as the Royals continue to battle the Twins during a huge series with both teams holding onto wild-card aspirations. In his place, Ramon Torres will make a second straight start at third base.

Ramirez (wrist) is not in the lineup against the Orioles on Friday.

Ramirez will miss a second straight game while dealing with a sore right wrist. Manager Terry Francona stated that the team may choose to hold him out of the next couple of contests as a precaution, so he's likely going to be a game-day decision for the rest of this weekend's series. In his place, Yandy Diaz draws another start at the hot corner.

Arenado went 2-for-3 with two walks, a homer and four RBI in Thursday's win over the Dodgers.

Arenado entered play Thursday with a .311 career average against Clayton Kershaw, and he got the better of the Dodgers' ace again with a three-run homer in the first inning. He's now up to 116 RBI (most in baseball), putting him on pace to reach 130 RBI for the third straight season.

Ramirez is not in the lineup Thursday against the White Sox due to a sore right wrist, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

It's unclear when the issue cropped up on Ramirez, but it's apparently serious enough to keep him out for Thursday's series finale. The Indians want to make sure Ramirez is healthy for the stretch run, so he could be held out for the next couple of games as a precaution, according to Tribe manager Terry Francona. Yandy Diaz and Erik Gonzalez should see starts around the infield with Ramirez sidelined.

Ramirez is out of the lineup Thursday against the White Sox.

Ramirez will occupy a seat on the bench following five straight starts, going 10-for-22 (.455 average) with five home runs and seven RBI during that span. In his place, Yandy Diaz draws the assignment at third, while batting third.

Moustakas (knee) is in the lineup at DH for Thursday's game against Minnesota, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Moustakas was removed from Wednesday's game with right knee irritation, and gets a day off from the field while spending the series opener in the DH spot. Since the calendar turned to September, Moustakas has gone 8-for-20 (.400 average) with one home run and three RBI.

Rendon is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Phillies, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

Rendon will head to the bench for a breather after starting five straight games at the hot corner, going 5-for-20 (.250) with a homer and five RBI over that span. Wilmer Difo will draw the start at third base in his place, batting second.

Manager Ned Yost said Moustakas, who exited Wednesday's game with right knee irritation, may serve as the designated hitter for Thursday's game against the Twins, Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star reports.

Yost called the ailment "old news" and said it was just about managing the pain, which likely means more starts at DH with an occasional day off. While it sounds like Moustakas might have to deal with some on-and-off knee pain down the stretch, it doesn't sound like it will force him to miss much, if any, time.