MLB Player News
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Ryan Fitzgerald 3B | LAD
Twins' Ryan Fitzgerald: Back in action at Triple-A
Fitzgerald (hamstring) went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI on Sunday in Triple-A St. Paul's 6-1 win over Louisville after being reinstated from the 7-day injured list earlier that day.
Fitzgerald was on the shelf for just under a month due to a right hamstring strain. The 31-year-old infielder got the chance to make his MLB debut with the Twins in May, but he's spent the bulk of the campaign at Triple-A, slashing .293/.382/.492 with seven home runs and five steals in 220 plate appearances.
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Emmanuel Rodriguez CF | MIN
Twins' Emmanuel Rodriguez: Back on IL at Triple-A
Rodriguez was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A St. Paul on Friday with a right oblique strain, MLB.com reports.
Rodriguez had just returned to action shortly before the All-Star break after missing more than a month of action with a right hip injury, and he now appears likely to be shelved for multiple weeks once again. The top prospect has had extreme difficulty staying healthy in his professional career, as he has yet to reach 100 games played in a season.
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Bailey Ober SP | MIN
Twins' Bailey Ober: Four scoreless in rehab outing
Ober (hip) struck out three over four scoreless frames in his first rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul on Friday.
Ober got his pitch count up to 50 in the outing, with 43 of those offerings going for strikes. Per Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Ober averaged 90.4 mph with his four-seamer, which is a bit below his season average. While it's possible Ober rejoins the Twins' rotation this week, the club might elect to give him one more rehab start to continue building up his pitch count. Ober has been out for all of July with a left hip impingement.
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Alek Manoah RP | LAA
Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Sharper in second rehab start
Manoah (elbow) gave up one run on three hits over two innings for Single-A Dunedin on Sunday. He struck out two without walking a batter.
The right-hander tossed 28 pitches (16 strikes) in his second rehab outing as he enters the final stretch of his recovery from an internal brace procedure performed last June. Per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Manoah will need at least three more rehab starts before the Blue Jays will consider activating him from the 60-day IL, but at the moment there isn't a spot for him in the big-league rotation, and the team may well have added further depth at the trade deadline before he's ready to return.
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Daulton Varsho CF | HOU
Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho: Closing in on return
Varsho (hamstring) started in center field Sunday in a rehab appearance for Single-A Dunedin, going 1-for-3 with a home run and four RBI.
He was lifted after six innings in this one, his third rehab contest, but Varsho is getting closer to coming off the injured list. The 29-year-old will likely be moved to a higher-level affiliate this week and may not be activated until he plays on consecutive days, but Varsho might be back patrolling center field for the Blue Jays by this weekend.
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Nick Sandlin RP | LAA
Blue Jays' Nick Sandlin: Resumes playing catch
Sandlin (elbow) has begun playing catch, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
The 28-year-old righty has had trouble staying healthy in his first season with the Blue Jays, but he's been effective when available, posting a 2.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB with a save and six holds over 16.1 innings and 19 appearances. Sandlin's latest injury, a bout of elbow inflammation, has sidelined him since July 7, but now that he's resumed a throwing progression he could be ready to rejoin the Toronto bullpen by the end of the month.
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Luke Keaschall 2B | MIN
Twins' Luke Keaschall: Three hits through three rehab games
Keaschall (forearm) served as a designated hitter in three rehab games for Triple-A St. Paul from Friday through Sunday, going 3-for-12 with three walks, two stolen bases, one run and one RBI.
Keaschall took part in his first game action since April 25, when he sustained a fractured right forearm that disrupted what had been an impressive start to his time in the big leagues. The rookie fared well in his return to the field this weekend, but since the Twins still want him to play second base and potentially get exposure to other positions during his time at St. Paul, he's expected to be in store for a lengthier rehab assignment, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Keaschall produced a 1.064 OPS in 26 plate appearances in the majors prior to landing on the injured list, and if he continues to rake during his assignment, the Twins will likely find ways to get his bat in the lineup once he's activated.
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Chris Martin RP | TEX
Rangers' Chris Martin: Likely IL-bound with calf strain
Martin is likely to be placed on the 15-day injured list after suffering a left calf strain during Sunday's loss to the Tigers, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The severity of the strain is unclear, but it seems to be bad enough that Martin will be shelved for at least a couple weeks. The veteran reliever has been a high-leverage arm for the Rangers this season, collecting a 2.36 ERA and 36:6 K:BB over 34.1 innings while notching a pair of saves.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Smacks 13th homer
Guerrero went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and two total RBI in Sunday's 8-6 win over the Giants.
Guerrero got the Jays on the board in the first inning with a 420-foot shot off Robbie Ray, his 13th homer of the season and first since June 29. While his power has tapered off a bit this year, Guerrero's still slashing a strong .278/.385/.439 with 48 RBI, 61 runs scored and five stolen bases across 426 plate appearances.
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Wyatt Langford LF | TEX
Rangers' Wyatt Langford: Moved to leadoff Sunday
Langford batted leadoff and went 0-for-4 in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Detroit.
Langford typically bats in the middle of the order but was moved up to leadoff for the night against Detroit lefty Tarik Skubal. Sam Haggerty (ankle) had been the go-to leadoff batter against southpaws recently, but he landed on the 10-day injured list Friday. Langford went hitless in the three-game series against the Tigers and hasn't recorded a hit over the last 15 at-bats, dropping his season average to .234.