MLB Player News

The Orioles activated Akin (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Akin missed a month of action with left shoulder inflammation but has been cleared to return after making three rehab appearances. The southpaw should see some high-leverage appearances in the Orioles bullpen, but he could be a candidate to get moved elsewhere ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

The Orioles activated Rutschman (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Monday. He'll start at catcher and bat cleanup in the Orioles' series opener versus the Blue Jays.

Rutschman had been shelved with a left oblique strain for more than a month, but he's ready to go following a brief rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk. The 27-year-old is sporting a disappointing .227/.319/.372 batting line this season for the Orioles, but given the low offensive bar catchers have to clear, fantasy managers who have Rutschman rostered will want to have him in their lineups this week.

Shewmake (undisclosed) has gone 1-for-9 with a walk in three games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since being reinstated from the 7-day injured list Wednesday.

Shewmake missed about a month of action due to the unspecified injury. The 27-year-old infielder possesses a spot on the Yankees' 40-man roster but has spent the entirety of the 2025 season at Triple-A, slashing .228/.317/.364 with four home runs and nine steals in 49 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Guardians team president Chris Antonetti said July 20 that Brito is expected to be out for "weeks" due to a "significant" left hamstring strain, MLB.com reports.

Brito sustained the injury while running to first base in a July 4 game with Triple-A Columbus and was placed on the affiliate's injured list a few days later. Based on Antonetti's comments, Brito appears unlikely to make his return from the IL until late August or early September.

Through 11 games with Double-A Erie, McGonigle is slashing .275/.383/.475 with a home run, a stolen base and nine RBI.

McGonigle was promoted from High-A West Michigan to Double-A on July 6, and he hasn't skipped a beat. The top prospect delivered two doubles for the SeaWolves on Sunday while making the start at shortstop. The Tigers are on pace for another postseason trip in 2025, so they likely won't rush McGonigle up to the majors for some development time in September. However, the 20-year-old infielder has been a fast riser through the minors, and if he keeps performing well down the stretch, McGonigle could be poised to make his MLB debut early in 2026.

Stephan (elbow) resumed his rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus over the weekend, issuing one walk in a scoreless inning Friday.

Stephan is in the midst of his second rehab assignment after the Guardians opted to extend his stay in the minors when his initial 30-day window expired shortly before the All-Star break. During the initial assignment, Stephan made eight appearances across stops with three affiliates and logged a 5.40 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 8.1 innings. Stephan has made two appearances for Columbus during his second assignment, with Friday's outing marking his first since the All-Star break. The right-hander will likely need to sharpen his command and pitch on consecutive days at Triple-A before the Guardians bring him back from the 60-day injured list.

Sewald (shoulder) was diagnosed with a moderate teres major strain after undergoing an MRI over the All-Star break, MLB.com reports.

Sewald was initially placed on the injured list July 15 due to a right shoulder strain, but the Guardians didn't offer up a timeline for his return. The fact that Sewald has been diagnosed with a moderate strain rather than a mild one suggests that he likely won't be in line for a brief stint on the shelf, and his absence could end up stretching into September. Prior to landing on the shelf, Sewald made 18 appearances out of the Cleveland bullpen and logged a 4.70 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB in 15.1 innings.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Stanton will begin taking defensive reps and could become an option in the corner outfield once Aaron Judge (elbow) returns from the 10-day injured list, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

The Yankees are hopeful that Judge will be ready to return from the IL on Aug. 5, but because the two-time AL MVP won't be able to resume throwing for another 10-to-14 days, he'll initially be limited to designated-hitter duties once he's activated. Judge's eventual return will displace Stanton from the DH spot, but the Yankees will attempt to keep Stanton's bat in the lineup by using him in the outfield. Stanton hasn't made a start in the outfield since 2023 and has spent the majority of his tenure with the Yankees as a DH while he's contended with a slew of lower-body injuries in past years and a bout with tennis elbow in both arms earlier this season, but Boone doesn't believe that playing the field will compromise the 35-year-old's health. Even so, the Yankees may not be keen on having Stanton play the outfield on a full-time basis, so expect him to receive at least a couple days off per week when Judge is back in the fold at DH.

The Guardians announced Monday that Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through Aug. 31 as part of MLB's sports-betting investigation, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Clase becomes the second Guardians pitcher to be placed on the restricted list in connection with the investigation, as right-hander Luis L. Ortiz previously went on leave earlier in this month. The 27-year-old righty has taken a step back statistically this season but has still performed as one of baseball's top closers, notching saves in 24 of 29 chances while logging a 3.23 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 47.1 innings. The 52-53 Guardians are 3.5 games behind for the final wild-card spot in the American League and may have considered moving Clase ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, but his placement on non-disciplinary leave likely takes any potential deal off the table. While Clase is out for at least the next month, right-hander Cade Smith (3.02 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 65:17 K:BB in 44.2 innings) looks like the next man up for save chances in the Cleveland bullpen, though manager Stephen Vogt could opt for a committee approach at closer.

The Twins designated Gillispie for assignment Monday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Michael Tonkin, who was called up from Triple-A St. Paul. Gillispie was a waiver claim of the Twins in late June but has been hammered for 22 runs over 13.2 innings during his time with St. Paul.