MLB Player News

Varsho isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals.

Varsho went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Friday in his return from the injured list, and the Jays will sit him down Saturday in an effort to ease him back into MLB action. Myles Straw will pick up a start in center field and bat seventh.

France went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Friday's loss to the Royals.

With George Springer (concussion) on the shelf, France got the start at DH and batted sixth in his Blue Jays debut after being acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline. The 31-year-old could see regular at-bats in the short term, but once Springer is back, France will likely find himself on the bench most days, providing depth at first base behind Vladimir Guerrero and getting some short-side platoon work at DH. Through 391 plate appearances this season, France has a mediocre .249/.317/.353 with six homers and 44 RBI.

Grichuk isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays.

Grichuk will step out of the lineup Saturday after going 4-for-17 with a home run and three runs scored through his first five games as a Royal. His absence will put Mike Yastrzemski at the DH spot while John Rave starts in right field.

Varland struck out one in a perfect seventh inning during Friday's loss to the Royals.

He fired 12 of 14 pitches for strikes in his Toronto debut. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Twins, Varland entered the game with his new team down 5-1, but he should quickly slot into a high-leverage role for the Jays, joining Yariel Rodriguez, Seranthony Dominguez and Yimi Garcia (elbow) as right-handed setup options in front of closer Jeff Hoffman.

The Royals designated Hatch for assignment Saturday.

Hatch will be jettisoned from the Royals' 40-man roster after giving up two run in one inning during his season debut Friday. Jonathan Bowlan was also optioned off the active roster Saturday to make room for Ryan Bergert and Bailey Falter.

Lorenzen (oblique) faced five batters in a live batting practice session Thursday, MLB.com reports.

Assuming Lorenzen experienced no complications in his recovery from a left oblique strain coming out of the workout, he's expected to begin a rehab assignment at some point during the upcoming week. Lorenzen has been on the shelf since July 14, and given the relative brevity of his absence, he could be ready to rejoin the Kansas City rotation after just one rehab start.

Bieber (elbow) is expected to throw 70-to-75 pitches in a rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

If everything goes well, Bieber could then return from the 60-day injured list to make his Blue Jays debut the following weekend in a road series against the Dodgers. Acquired from the Guardians at the trade deadline, the 30-year-old right-hander and 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner is in the final stages of his recovery from Tommy John surgery he underwent in April 2024.

Stanton went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's 13-12 loss to the Marlins.

Stanton kicked off the scoring for the night in the series opener, with his 409-foot blast off right-hander Janson Junk in the fourth inning staking New York to an early lead. The 35-year-old has now left the yard in consecutive games and has five home runs in his last nine games, bringing his OPS to .862 for the season. Stanton has shown the ability to go on these type of power binges in the past, and if he can continue to offset his bloated 32.8 percent strikeout rate with further mashing, the Yankees will likely continue to keep his bat in the lineup by using him in the corner outfield when Aaron Judge (elbow) returns from the injured list, perhaps as soon as next week. Since Judge will be limited to designated-hitter duties upon his return until he completes his throwing program, Stanton has begun to take pregame reps in the outfield, though he has yet to make his 2025 debut on defense.

The Royals optioned Bowlan to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

Bowlan will depart Kansas City's bullpen to help make room for new additions Ryan Bergert and Bailey Falter on the active roster. Bowlan owns a 4.73 ERA and 1.35 WHIP through 26.2 innings in the majors, though he may return to the Royals down the stretch if the big club needs a fresh arm.

Dominguez went 3-for-4 with a walk, two stolen bases, two runs and one RBI in Friday's 13-12 loss to the Marlins.

Dominguez's power has gone missing of late -- he's collected just three extra-base hits in 17 games since swatting a pair of home runs July 4 against the Mets -- but he's been able to prop up his fantasy value by contributing on the basepaths and increasing his contact rate. After swiping two bags Friday, Dominguez is now up to 18 steals on the season, and the three-hit performance boosted his average to .266. Dominguez's 27 percent strikeout rate and elevated .349 BABIP point to some regression in the batting-average category, though he's made some improvements in the former area since the All-Star break with a 17.4 percent strikeout rate over 11 second-half games.