MLB Player News

Clement (finger/shin) will start at third base and bat sixth Sunday against the Brewers.

Clement was held out of the starting nine the past couple days due to a hairline finger fracture and a laceration to his left shin, but he's ready to rejoin the lineup for Sunday's series finale. The 29-year-old's average has dipped in August as he's batting .247 in 24 games, though he still has a .729 OPS this month thanks to four home runs.

Gonzalez will start at second base and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Gonzalez will stick in the lineup for a fourth straight game, occupying the keystone for the first time during that stretch as Nathaniel Lowe returns from the paternity list. Though Gonzalez has been at his best against left-handed pitching this season with a .977 OPS in 122 plate appearances, he's been serviceable against righties with a .273/.296/.414 slash line over 135 PAs. The Red Sox could prioritize Gonzalez over David Hamilton at second base until Wilyer Abreu (calf) returns from the injured list, which would push Ceddanne Rafaela to the infield on a more frequent basis.

Hamilton is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Though Hamilton has posted a 1.053 OPS in six games since being called up from Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 21, the Red Sox aren't yet ready to give him consistent playing time. He'll be on the bench for a second straight matchup with a right-handed starter (Mitch Keller), clearing the way for Romy Gonzalez to shift from first base to the keystone in Nathaniel Lowe's return from the paternity list.

The Royals optioned Kolek to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.

The right-hander was called up for a spot start Saturday and allowed just one run over six innings in a no-decision against Detroit, but he won't stick on the big-league roster with Michael Wacha returning from the paternity list Sunday. Kolek could rejoin the big club down the stretch, but he may have a difficult time finding a spot in the Kansas City rotation while all of Wacha, Seth Lugo, Michael Lorenzen, Noah Cameron and Ryan Bergert are available.

Julien is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.

The Twins have now left Julien out of the lineup for three consecutive contests, which follows a stretch of four straight starts in which he went 2-for-13 with a double and three walks. Julien has produced a poor .545 OPS since getting called up from Triple-A St. Paul on Aug. 1 and may play second fiddle to Kody Clemens at first base in September.

Larnach is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.

The Padres are having right-hander David Morgan open the contest, but since lefty Kyle Hart is projected to work in bulk relief, Larnach will take a seat. His absence will open up the DH spot for Byron Buxton.

The Royals reinstated Wacha (personal) from the paternity list to start Sunday's game against the Tigers.

The right-hander has been away from the team for the past couple days to be with his growing family, but he's back with the Royals for his usual turn through the rotation Sunday versus Detroit. Wacha will look to maintain his strong form through five August starts, as he has a 2.87 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB over 31.1 innings this month.

Holton (5-4) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Saturday against the Royals.

Holton served up the key hit Saturday, a two-run home run by Bobby Witt in the bottom of the eighth inning that proved to be decisive in a 3-1 Kansas City victory. It wasn't a great matchup for the lefty reliever, as he has better numbers against same-handed hitters, and Witt crushes southpaws to the tune of a .934 OPS. Despite the setback, Holton still has a serviceable 3.84 ERA across 65.2 innings this season, and he remains part of Detroit's high-leverage crew.

Basallo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run and a walk Saturday in an 11-1 victory versus San Francisco.

Basallo achieved a personal milestone when he swatted a 376-foot shot in the fourth inning for his first major-league homer. The long ball also snapped a seven-game stretch without an RBI for the rookie backstop. Basallo hasn't exactly hit the ground running since being called up Aug. 17, but he's at least been moderately productive with six RBI through 11 games while striking out a tolerable seven times in 42 plate appearances.

Jackson went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, two total runs and four total RBI in an 11-1 win over the Giants on Saturday.

Jackson plated Baltimore's first runs of the game with a two-run homer in the third inning and added a two-run double in the eighth. The rookie extended his hitting streak to 10 games, during which he's slashing .326/.356/.558 with his first two MLB homers, four doubles, 10 RBI and six runs. Jackson's hot bat has helped him hold onto an everyday spot in the Orioles' lineup -- he's started 10 straight games, manning either third base or right field.