MLB Player News

Ramirez is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Ramirez went 5-for-17 with three RBI while starting the past five games, but he'll head to the bench for Sunday's series finale in Baltimore. Brett Phillips will start in right field while Randy Arozarena serves as the designated hitter.

Cabrera is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers.

With the Tigers wrapping up their series with the Rangers with a day game, Cabrera will get some routine maintenance. Eric Haase replaces Cabrera in the lineup as Detroit's designated hitter.

Harper (hand) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

He'll be sidelined for the third consecutive game overall and a second straight on account of a blister on his left hand. Harper received antibiotics to treat the blister, so he could be ready to rejoin the lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Rangers if his treatment has taken full effect by then.

Cabrera went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI single and two runs scored in Saturday's victory over the Rangers.

Cabrera sent Willi Castro home on a single in the fourth. Cabrera crossed the plate thanks to an Eric Haase home run and a wild pitch by Jose Leclerc. The veteran has played well lately, with at least one hit in each of his last five games, including three multi-hit games. He is now slashing .297/.333/.376

Vogelbach went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in a 7-5 loss to the Giants on Saturday.

Vogelbach pinch hit for Michael Chavis in the eighth inning and brought the Pirates to within a run. It was his eighth home run of the year and 18th RBI. The left-handed slugger was on the bench to start the game with lefty pitcher Alex Wood on the mound for San Francisco.

Ramirez went 2-for-4 with three RBI in a 7-6 win over the Orioles on Saturday.

Ramirez hit a single, a two-run double and a game-winning sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth for another positive night at the plate. The 27-year-old outfielder is hitting .293 on the season and has been hot in June, slashing .342/.381/.395 in 12 games entering Saturday. His 98th percentile ranking in xBA suggest his batting average is legitimate, and he has shown an ability to hit the ball hard, even if his home run totals (two) are low.

Choi went 2-for-5 with one home run, two RBI and one run scored in Saturday's 7-6 victory over Baltimore.

Choi struggled with elbow issues earlier in the season which saw him take a trip to the injured list, but he is swinging a hot bat in June. He entered Saturday with a .348/.392/.522 slash line this month. The veteran first baseman combines a patient approach at the plate with enough power for the Rays to like him slotted into the cleanup spot against right-handed pitchers, though he doesn't play much versus southpaws.

Winker is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Angels.

Winker will end up on the bench for the beginning of both games of this twin bill, but he did appear off the bench in the matinee, going 1-for-2 with a strikeout. Justin Upton is starting at designated hitter while Adam Frazier starts in left field.

Buxton will sit Saturday against Arizona, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton has avoided the injured list all season, though it's taken frequent rests for that to happen. He'll sit here after starting five consecutive games, the second-longest run of starts he's had all year. Nick Gordon (hamstring) will get the start in center field.

Mercedes was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Mercedes made a brief splash at the start of last season as a 28-year-old rookie, but his overall .271/.328/.404 slash line in 68 games was merely good for a 101 wRC+, a number which isn't good enough for a player who shouldn't feature anywhere other than designated hitter. He's spent all of this season with Triple-A Charlotte, where he's hit .230/.376/.425 in 25 games. The Giants are quite good at building a roster that gets the most out of a set of imperfect players, but whether or not they'll eventually carve out a meaningful role for Mercedes remains to be seen.