MLB Player News

France is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.

After being acquired from the Twins on Thursday, France picked up starts at designated hitter and first base in the first two games of the Blue Jays' series with the Royals, going 1-for-8 at the plate. Though he'll hit the bench Sunday while Nathan Lukes gets a day off from playing the outfield and serves as Toronto's DH, France should have a fairly clear path to regular at-bats until the Blue Jays get one or two of George Springer (concussion), Andres Gimenez (ankle) and Anthony Santander (shoulder) back from the injured list.

Heineman (head) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.

Heineman started behind the plate in the first two games of the series with Kansas City but exited Saturday's 4-2 win after being diagnosed with a head contusion when he took a foul tip off his mask. Per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca, manager John Schneider said that Heineman hasn't developed any concussion symptoms, but he's still viewed as day-to-day. In any case, Heineman's brief run as Toronto's No. 1 catcher is over, as the Blue Jays activated Alejandro Kirk (concussion) from the 7-day injured list Sunday.

The Blue Jays reinstated Kirk (concussion) from the 7-day injured list Sunday. He'll start at catcher and bat sixth against the Royals.

The backstop had a minimum-length stay on the shelf after being struck on the facemask by a foul tip last weekend. The 26-year-old Kirk will step back in as Toronto's No. 1 backstop after slashing .304/.361/.413 with seven home runs, 47 RBI and 27 runs over 88 games prior to landing on the IL.

Grichuk is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

Grichuk started four of his first five games with the Royals, but he could be at risk of falling onto the short side of a platoon after Mike Yastrzemski was acquired at the trade deadline. Grichuk's playing time could be squeezed further when Jac Caglianone (hamstring) returns from the injured list and reclaims an everyday role sometime in August.

The Royals placed Cruz on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right shoulder impingement.

Cruz departed Saturday's game against the Blue Jays due to the injury and will be sidelined for at least the next couple of weeks. Daniel Lynch (elbow) was reinstated from the IL in a corresponding move to round out Kansas City's bullpen.

India (forearm/wrist) will serve as the Royals' designated hitter and leadoff batter in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

India suffered a left wrist/forearm contusion when he was struck by a pitch in the third inning of Saturday's 4-2 loss, but he apparently made enough progress overnight to rejoin the lineup for the series finale. With India occupying the DH spot, the Royals will have Adam Frazier pick up a start at the keystone.

The Royals reinstated Lynch (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Sunday.

The left-hander has been sidelined nearly a month due to nerve irritation in his elbow, but he's ready to rejoin the Royals after making two rehab appearances in the minors. Lynch primarily works in middle relief but sees occasional high-leverage work with one save and four holds this season. He's been effective through 39 appearances with a 2.59 ERA, though his 1.42 WHIP and 29:22 K:BB could indicate some trouble on the horizon.

The Yankees placed Loaisiga on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to right mid-back tightness.

The injury presumably surfaced during Loaisiga's appearance against Miami on Friday, when he allowed one hit and plunked a batter while recording just one out. The right-hander will be eligible to be reinstated in mid-August, though a timeline for his return likely won't be established until he meets with the Yankees' team physician back in New York, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

The Yankees activated Gil (lat) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start against the Marlins on Sunday.

The right-hander has been on the shelf all season while recovering from the lat strain he suffered during spring training, but he's ready to make his 2025 MLB debut Sunday in Miami. Gil threw 75 pitches over 4.1 innings during his final minor-league rehab outing Tuesday, so he's likely to have some minor workload limitations in his first few starts back with the Yankees. The 27-year-old was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 2024 after he posted a 3.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 171:77 K:BB across 151.2 innings.

Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

Smith has struggled mightily since the All-Star break, recording just six hits in 53 at-bats (.113 batting average) while posting a 5:18 BB:K. Though he still appears to be locked into a regular spot in the lineup, Smith has been getting more frequent days off while he continues to languish at the plate. He'll take a seat Sunday for the second time in six games while Jesus Sanchez occupies right field.