MLB Player News

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said that Mead will be activated ahead of Monday's series opener versus the Athletics and could see most of his reps at second base initially, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports. "The cool thing was talking to all players involved, including Curtis, that the general response was '[I'll] play wherever you need me to.' So we got a good right-handed bat that looks like he's capable playing second," Tracy said of Mead, who was acquired in a trade with the Nationals on Sunday. "We'll start with that and keep eyes on it."

Mead has made 35 career big-league starts at second base, but just one has come this season as the Nationals primarily deployed him at the corner-infield spots prior to trading him. With Willson Contreras entrenched at first base and the Red Sox keen on keeping Caleb Durbin at third base, Mead looks like he'll settle in at the keystone. Boston has received solid production at second base from Anthony Seigler of late, but he could fade into more of a part-time role to clear up at-bats for Mead, who has broken out this season with an .852 OPS, 17 home runs and six steals over 87 games for Washington.

The Nationals recalled House from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday. He'll start at third base and bat fifth in the Nationals' series finale versus the Diamondbacks.

With Washington having traded Curtis Mead to Boston, House will come up from Triple-A to fill the open spot on the 26-man active roster. House served as the Nationals' primary third baseman to begin the season and produced a .681 OPS in 44 games prior to his demotion May 18. After putting together a .301/.342/.500 slash line with a 23.9 percent strikeout rate over 222 plate appearances at Triple-A, House could end up garnering another look as an everyday player at the hot corner, though Jorbit Vivas and Jose Tena also loom as options at third base.

Loftin went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Tigers.

Loftin's lone hit was a critical one, as he turned on an elevated fastball from Jacob Waguespack and deposited it into the left-field stands to give the Royals a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning. The infielder has gone 8-for-29 (.276) with two extra-base hits, five RBI and three runs in nine contests since the All-Star break and is riding a modest six-game hitting streak. Overall, Loftin is slashing .250/.333/.412 with five homers, 34 RBI and 29 runs across 68 games.

The Nationals plan to recall House from Triple-A Rochester ahead of Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

With Curtis Mead traded to Boston on Saturday night, the Nationals need a replacement at third base. House has been in the minors since mid-May after he opened the season hitting third in Washington's lineup. House struggled to a .681 OPS across 177 trips to the plate before he was demoted to Triple-A. With Rochester, House has slashed .300/.344/.498 with eight homers, 33 RBI, 26 runs scored, three stolen bases and a 12:53 BB:K across 218 plate appearances. He should get plenty of runway at third base for the Nationals the rest of the season.

The Red Sox acquired Mead from the Nationals on Saturday in exchange for Connelly Early (elbow), Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The Red Sox have been looking for a bat to help lengthen their lineup, and they've opted to ship out a young starter in Early to address that need. The 25-year-old Mead has experienced a breakout season with Washington in 2026, slashing .256/.351/.505 with 17 homers, 48 RBI, 48 runs scored, six stolen bases and a 37:62 BB:K across 322 trips to the plate. It remains to be seen exactly who Boston plays where, but Mead and Caleb Durbin are likely to dominate the playing time between second and third base.

The Dodgers plan to activate Hernandez (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Hernandez began the season on the injured list while recovering from elbow surgery, then appeared in two games for the Dodgers in late May before landing right back on the IL after straining his left oblique. The veteran utility player has made good progress in his recovery over the past two months and looks ready to rejoin the big club after going 7-for-21 with a home run and a pair of doubles over six rehab games at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Once activated, Hernandez will likely be in store for a limited role, with most of his starts expected to come against left-handed pitching.

The Rangers placed Jung on the 10-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to Wednesday, due to a left calf strain.

Jung has been dealing with a left calf injury that he picked up against the White Sox on Tuesday. There was hope that he would be cleared to return to the lineup this weekend, but the injury is severe enough for Jung to warrant a stint on the injured list. The Rangers should have a better sense of Jung's recovery timeline once he undergoes further tests, but the team is hopeful that he'll be ready to return next weekend against the Astros, per Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com. Josh Smith was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding move.

Mayo is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against Atlanta.

Mayo will be out of the lineup for a third consecutive game while Christian Encarnacion-Strand picks up another start at third base. Though Mayo should still be a regular presence in the lineup versus left-handed pitching, he could fade into more of a part-time role versus righties after having gone 4-for-16 (.25o average) while striking out in half of his plate appearances since the All-Star break.

The Athletics optioned Muncy to Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday.

Muncy was brought up from Triple-A on Tuesday to provide infield depth when Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (groin) landed on the injured list, but the former will now head back to the minors following Nick Kurtz's (thumb) return from the IL. Muncy has slashed .223/.298/.389 across 178 plate appearances with the Athletics this season and would likely be one of the first choices to return to Sacramento if the big club's infield depth is tested again down the stretch.

Fischer went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in a game with Double-A Biloxi on Friday.

Fischer has had bigger nights in the box score, but the home run was his 30th of the season and his 10th in just 29 games since being promoted to Biloxi. Strikeouts remain a concern for Fischer, but the power potential is tantalizing -- particularly in fantasy circles.