MLB Player News

Bichette (knee) will play the field at the Blue Jays' alternate training site Tuesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Bichette took five at-bats as the designated hitter in a simulated game Monday, and he'll test out his health in the field just one day later. Manager Charlie Montoyo said that the team is still taking things day by day to see how he progresses. A weekend return hasn't been ruled out.

Fletcher (ankle) is progressing well and could come off the injured list when first eligible Thursday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

While a Thursday return for Fletcher is not definite, the utilityman appears to be nearly recovered from the left ankle sprain that necessitated a trip to the 10-day IL. "He's doing well," manager Joe Maddon said. "I always hate to give you guys a finish line until I'm sure, but he's progressing well, walking around, I have not heard anything negative from training staff." Fletcher's return would give the Angels' offense a boost given his .313/.377/.438 slash line through 162 plate appearances this season.

Mondesi is starting at shortstop and batting second Tuesday against Cleveland.

He is hitting .375 with one home run, three steals, five strikeouts and zero walks in 16 at-bats over his last four games, which is apparently a large enough sample of quality production for the Royals to bump him from the bottom third to the top third of the lineup. Mondesi had not hit higher than seventh in the order since he hit sixth Aug. 11.

Wendle is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Nationals, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The lefty-hitting Wendle will head to the bench despite a righty (Anibal Sanchez) pitching for the opposition. Brandon Lowe is starting at the keystone while Yoshi Tsutsugo handles the hot corner. Wendle is hitting .190 with one home run, two steals, one walk and 11 strikeouts in 42 at-bats over his last 10 games.

Diaz is not in the lineup for Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader against Oakland, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The Astros will use the twin bill to give some other bench players some playing time. Jack Mayfield will start at second base and bat ninth in Game 1. Diaz should continue to be the primary Jose Altuve (knee) replacement in the short term.

Mondesi went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a stolen base in Monday's 5-2 loss to Cleveland.

His seventh inning shot was his first homer of the year and the only run the Royals managed off Zach Plesac. Mondesi has nudged his average back up to .200 with six hits in his last four games, and his AL-leading 11 steals have been the only thing keeping his fantasy value afloat this year.

Bichette (knee) will serve as the designated hitter in a simulated game at the Blue Jays' alternate training site Monday, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

Bichette has now missed over three weeks with a sprained knee, but it looks like he should be able to return soon. The Blue Jays have yet to announce a specific timeline for him to be activated from the injured list, however.

Adrianza went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, a stolen base and a run scored Sunday in the Twins' 10-8 loss to the Tigers.

Adrianza cracked the lineup for the third time in four games Sunday, filling in for a resting Josh Donaldson at third base. With Jorge Polanco getting Monday's series finale off, Adrianza will stick in the starting nine at shortstop and will bat eighth, but don't expect his run of increased playing time to continue much longer. Once designated hitter Nelson Cruz (hip) and Max Kepler (groin) are deemed healthy, the Twins will have their optimal lineup at full strength.

Bogaerts went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Blue Jays.

Bogaerts homered for the second consecutive contest, this time taking A.J. Cole deep in the eighth inning. He's now tallied 10 home runs this season and is hitting .281/.338/.541 with 24 runs scored and 26 RBI across 160 plate appearances.

Lindor went 2-for-3 with a double, walk and two runs scored in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Brewers.

Lindor started slowly this season, recording just 15 knocks in his first 65 at-bats. However, he has enjoyed a strong stretch since Aug. 11, going 30-for-93 (.323) with 10 extra-base hits over that span. In all, the shortstop is slashing a solid .280/.341/.453.