MLB Player News

Choi went 1-for-1 with an RBI after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning Wednesday against the Tigers.

Choi didn't start the game with southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound. However, he provided an insurance run for the Rays by driving in his 15th run of the campaign and fifth across his last five games. Overall, Choi has maintained a .279/.388/.441 line across 80 plate appearances this season.

Ozuna went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 7-6 extra-innings loss to the Brewers.

The veteran slugger went back-to-back with Austin Riley off Corbin Burnes in the third inning, staking Atlanta to an early 4-0 lead that the bullpen couldn't protect. Ozuna has gone yard three times in the last five games as part of a six-game hitting streak, and he's up to seven homers and 17 RBI through 38 games on the season.

Harper (elbow) isn't expected to be available to play right field until after the All-Star break after he was advised not to throw for six weeks upon receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection for his right elbow Sunday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The six-week rest period would come to an end in early July, but since Harper would still need additional time after that to build up his throwing distance, the Phillies are preparing for him to be a full-time designated hitter for the remainder of the first half of the season. Perhaps no player has benefited more from the implementation of the universal designated hitter in 2022 than Harper, who likely would have gone on the injured list weeks ago if not for being available in a non-defensive role. Playing through the UCL sprain in his elbow hasn't hindered him at the plate, as Harper has maintained a .995 OPS through 147 plate appearances on the season. As a result of the recent PRP injection, Harper is still experiencing enough pain that he'll be out of the lineup Wednesday against the Padres for the third consecutive game, but the Phillies anticipate that he'll be ready to handle DH duties by the weekend, if not Thursday's series finale with San Diego.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Soler isn't starting in Wednesday's game against the Nationals while he contends with lower-back stiffness, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Mattingly is hopeful that consecutive days out of the lineup coupled with Thursday's team off day will provide sufficient recovery time for Soler, who is expected to rejoin the starting nine for Friday's series opener in Atlanta. With Soler on the bench Wednesday, Brian Anderson will draw the start in left field.

Morel is starting at third base and batting eighth in Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

A day after hitting his first MLB home run as a pinch hitter in his first career at-bat, Morel will pick up his first start in the majors. The 22-year-old got the call from Double-A Tennessee to provide some outfield depth with Jason Heyward hitting the COVID-19 injured list, but Morel can also play some third base. Patrick Wisdom gets a rest day to make room at the hot corner.

Stanton isn't starting Wednesday against Baltimore.

Stanton started in the last six games and hit .417 with three homers, two doubles, 10 RBI and five runs. He'll get a breather while Aaron Judge serves as the designated hitter with Marwin Gonzalez starting in right field.

Torrens isn't starting Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

Torrens recently had a string of six consecutive starts in which he hit .263 with two runs, three walks and seven strikeouts, but he'll now retreat to the bench for the third time in the last four games. Cal Raleigh will start behind the plate and bat ninth.

Harper (elbow) isn't starting Wednesday against the Padres.

The Phillies were pessimistic about Harper's availability for Wednesday's matchup, and he'll officially be held out of the lineup for a third straight game after he received a platelet-rich plasma injection over the weekend. However, the team is hopeful that he'll be back in action for Thursday's series finale. Odubel Herrera, Roman Quinn and Nick Castellanos will start in the outfield from left to right while Kyle Schwarber serves as the designated hitter Wednesday.

The Diamondbacks placed Hummel on the injured list Wednesday without a designation, implying that he's been added to the COVID-19-related IL.

Hummel had been in line to make his third consecutive start in Wednesday's series finale with the Dodgers, but he was ultimately scratched after testing positive for the virus or being ruled out due to contact-tracing-related concerns. In a corresponding move, Arizona called up infielder Yonny Hernandez from Triple-A Reno.

Soler isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The Marlins haven't given any indication that Soler is dealing with an injury, but he'll remain out of the lineup for a second straight game to close out the series against Washington. Brian Anderson will shift to left field while Erik Gonzalez starts at third base.