MLB Player News

Loftin isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Marlins.

Loftin has recorded a base hit in eight of his last nine games, but the Royals will give him a breather during Thursday's series finale. Josh Rojas will step in to start at third base and bat seventh.

Holliday is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Red Sox.

The lefty-swinging Holliday has a .699 OPS against lefties and a .675 OPS versus righties in 2026, but this will be his second straight time sitting out when the opposition has sent a southpaw (in this case, Jake Bennett) to the bump. Blaze Alexander will play second base in Holliday's stead.

Basallo is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Red Sox.

The left-handed-hitting Basallo has just a .466 OPS versus lefty hurlers this season, so he'll exit the lineup as the Red Sox send southpaw Jake Bennett to the bump. Carlos Narvaez will do the catching for the Orioles in the series opener.

Rafaela (quad) isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Orioles, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Rafaela was pulled from Wednesday's game in the seventh inning due to quad tightness, and he'll need at least a day to recover before making his return to the starting nine. His absence will allow Eli White to start in center field and bat eighth Thursday.

Story isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Orioles, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Story will get a chance to catch his breath Thursday after going 7-for-16 with four RBI and a run scored while starting all four of Boston's games since his return from the IL on Sunday. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will fill in at shortstop and bat ninth.

Rutschman (elbow) will start at catcher and bat third Thursday against the Orioles, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

After missing each of Boston's last three games due to a lingering elbow injury, Rutschman will return to the starting nine for the beginning of a four-game set against his former club. The 28-year-old has struggled mightily since joining the Red Sox at the trade deadline, slashing just .170/.254/.245 across his last 59 plate appearances.

Ryan (glute) struck out four batters and allowed one earned run on one hit and no walks across three innings in a rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A St. Paul.

Making his first appearance in a game since Aug. 4, Ryan tossed 42 pitches (29 strikes) and sat around 91-to-92 mph with his fastball, about one tick below his season-long average. Per MLB.com, Ryan is slated to throw a bullpen session this weekend before the Twins determine whether or not he'll require another rehab outing prior to coming off the 15-day injured list. If Ryan does get the green light to join the Minnesota rotation following the bullpen session, he would likely be operating with a restricted workload in his first start back from the shelf.

Volpe was lifted from a game at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday with a right forearm contusion, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Volpe initially remained in the contest after being hit by a pitch before eventually being removed. It's unclear whether Volpe required X-rays, but either way it seems he's avoided a serious injury. Volpe has performed well since being demoted in early August, slashing .276/.376/.632 with eight home runs over 23 contests. He's seen action at second and third base in addition to shortstop during that stretch.

Single-A Hill City reinstated Oakie (illness) from its 7-day injured list Aug. 27 and assigned him to High-A Lake County.

Oakie has made two appearances since joining Lake County, striking out four batters over four innings while giving up six earned runs on six hits and two walks. The 20-year-old righty posted a 7.15 ERA and 1.95 WHIP over 45.1 innings in 13 starts with Hill City before landing on the injured list July 8 due to a viral illness.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Santander (shoulder) has been facing live pitching this week at the team's spring training complex in Florida and could be ready for a rehab assignment next week, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Santander had surgery in February to repair his left shoulder labrum, but he's given himself a chance to return before the end of this month with his recent progress. Still, the odds are long that he's able to make it back in the coming weeks and contribute offensively following an extended layoff.