MLB Player News

Diaz (hip) will serve as the Rays' designated hitter and leadoff batter in Wednesday's game against the Phillies, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Diaz exited Tuesday's 8-4 win early due to right hip tightness, but he downplayed the injury after the game and suggested he would be back in action Wednesday. His prediction appears to have come true, and he'll move up to the top of the order after having occupied the No. 3 spot in his previous two starts. The left-handed-hitting Chandler Simpson could continue to bat leadoff against right-handed pitching, but Diaz looks like he'll be the Rays' preferred table setter versus lefties such as the Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez.

Polanco will serve as the Mariners' designated hitter and No. 2 batter in Wednesday's game against the Athletics.

In Tuesday's 5-3 win, Polanco drew a start at second base, which marked his first start in the infield since April 4. Polanco had been limited to DH duties for the past month while managing a side injury that affects his throwing and inhibits him when he bats from the right side of the plate, but his usage at the keystone offers hope that he may be nearing the finish line in his recovery. The Mariners plan to have Polanco serve as their everyday third baseman once the injury is fully behind him, but he may have started at second base Tuesday due to the shorter throws that he would need to make at the position.

Marte is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest in Arizona.

Marte is set to be the Mets' primary designated hitter while Jesse Winker (oblique) is sidelined, but he'll get a breather in Wednesday's matinee. Brandon Nimmo will be the club's DH, while Jeff McNeil patrols left field.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Alvarez has been diagnosed with a muscle strain on the top of his right hand and is hoping to be activated from the 10-day injured list when first eligible May 13, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez needs a bit of rest, but the goal is for him to rejoin the Astros early next week for the second game of a three-game set against the Royals. Jose Altuve has made two starts at designated hitter and Yainer Diaz has been in the DH spot once since Alvarez was placed on the IL on Monday.

Bell is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Guardians.

Bell returned to action in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader after missing the previous four contests with a groin issue. While Bell seems to be healthy now, the Nationals are going with James Wood at designated hitter and Alex Call in left field for Wednesday's series finale.

Manzardo is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Manzardo sat out the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader and will now rest in Wednesday's series finale. Steven Kwan is in the designated hitter spot, while Daniel Schneemann is playing left field for the Guardians.

Steer started in left field and went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Atlanta.

Steer made his first outfield start of the season. He opened the year with a shoulder injury that limited him to DH before improving enough to play first base the last three weeks. He joins the rotation of bodies filling for the injured Austin Hays (hamstring) in left field.

The Yankees haven't ruled out Stanton (elbows) being activated from the 60-day injured list when he's first eligible in late May, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton began taking batting practice in late April after previously being limited to hitting off a machine. The veteran slugger missed all of spring training due to a severe case of tendinitis in both elbows, so it's likely he'll need to get in some minor-league rehab appearances before he's ready to join the big club. That said, Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted Tuesday that Stanton's rehab will be different than the norm since he doesn't need to get ready to play the field. When Stanton is able to make his 2025 debut with the Yankees, he'll likely take over as the team's primary designated hitter, though that would create an interesting situation with Ben Rice, who has thrived in that role so far this season.

Rooker went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, one RBI, two stolen bases and two runs scored in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Mariners.

Rooker has racked up five multi-hit efforts over his last 10 games, going 12-for-39 (.308) in that span. He's not known for his speed, so it was surprising to see him log a pair of steals in this contest, which were his first two thefts of the season. The three-hit effort boosted his batting average to .255, and he's added an .820 OPS, nine home runs, 19 RBI, 25 runs scored, seven doubles and a triple over 37 contests. Rooker has topped the 30-homer mark in each of the last two years and is on pace to do it again in 2025.

Santander went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Angels.

Santander is up to five homers this season, three of which have come over his last eight games. In that span, the outfielder has gone 6-for-30 (.200) with five RBI and five runs scored. Santander's finding a little more success, but it'll take some time for that to be reflected in his overall numbers. He's batting. 180 with a .597 OPS, 13 RBI, 12 runs scored and five doubles over 34 games this season.