MLB Player News

Lewis (knee) has begun hitting in the batting cage, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

A torn meniscus has kept Lewis on the sidelines since the end of May. He's now taken a few steps towards a return, but he still has a long way to go before he gets back into game action.

Jimenez (pectoral) was activated from the 60-day injured list as expected Monday.

Jimenez could well wind up being the biggest addition any team makes at the deadline, as he hasn't played all season since rupturing his left pectoral tendon in late March while trying to rob a home run in spring training. He's one of the better sluggers in the league when healthy, as he's hit 45 homers in 177 games since his debut back in 2019, pairing that with a .276/.321/.527 slash line. He was originally expected to be out until late August or early September, but his .289/.327/.467 line in 12 rehab games suggests he's healthy. Jake Burger was optioned in a corresponding move.

Brantley went 0-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base in Sunday's 3-1 win over Texas.

Brantley was an active runner during the early part of his career, but the mid-30s version has slowed down considerably. Sunday's theft was his first of the season and just the sixth over the last three seasons.

Rooker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the Angels.

Rooker cranked a solo home run off Jaime Barria in the first inning. After Max Kepler led off the game with a long ball, Rooker followed it up with one of his own. It was only his second home run of the season, though it came in just his 11th game. The 26-year-old is slashing .122/.143/.317 in 42 plate appearances. He will receive more playing time with the Twins after they recently traded Nelson Cruz to Tampa Bay.

Ohtani went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Twins.

Ohtani slammed a solo shot off Danny Coulombe in the sixth inning, giving the Angels a one-run lead. In addition, he stole second base in the eighth inning. It was his fourth game with a homer and a steal this season. The 26-year-old is slashing .227/.362/.684 in 378 plate appearances. He leads all of baseball with 35 long balls.

Soler went 3-for-4 with two solo homers in Sunday's 6-1 win over Detroit.

Soler crushed two fastballs from Tarik Skubal for solo shots in the first and third innings of Sunday's victory. He's up to 11 long balls after his first multi-homer game of the season. The 29-year-old righty is slashing .190/.287/.354 with 34 RBI through 338 plate appearances.

Manager Tony La Russa said Jimenez (pectoral) will join the White Sox in Kansas City on Monday and is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list prior to the team's series opener versus the Royals, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

La Russa noted that he hasn't decided if Jimenez will play regularly at designated hitter or in left field (or shuttle between the two), but regardless, getting his bat in the lineup for the first time all season is a major boon for the White Sox. After undergoing surgery in late March to repair a ruptured left pectoral tendon, Jimenez was initially projected to be sidelined until late August or early September, but he'll end up returning far sooner than expected after making rapid progress in his recovery program. Jimenez received the green light to make his 2021 debut for the big club after slashing .289/.327/.467 with two home runs and a pair of doubles over his two-week rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte.

Rooker will start in left field and bat second Sunday against the Angels.

After being called up from Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Rooker started at designated hitter in the first two games of the weekend, going 1-for-8 with a double and a run scored. He'll be filling in as an outfielder Sunday with Trevor Larnach (hand) banged up, but Rooker should settle in as the Twins' primary DH following the trade of Nelson Cruz to the Rays.

Reyes was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Rays with back spasms, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Reyes was penciled in as Cleveland's designated hitter, per usual, but he was a late removal from the lineup due to the injury. The severity of the issue remains unclear, and he'll have Monday's scheduled off day to aid in his recovery before potentially missing additional time. Bobby Bradley will now serve as the designated hitter while Yu Chang enters the lineup at first base.

Choi went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored and three RBI in Saturday's 8-2 win over Cleveland.

The 30-year-old launched a solo shot off J.C. Mejia in the first inning and never looked back, providing the engine in a big night for the Tampa offense. Choi has gone yard in back-to-back games, and despite missing significant time with injuries this season, he's slashing .270/.383/.454 with six homers and 27 RBI through 45 games.