MLB Player News

Springer has been removed from Saturday's starting lineup versus Philadelphia due to left shoulder tightness, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

According to Zwelling, the issue is one that Springer has been dealing with for "the last couple days." With Springer pulled from the lineup, Jesus Sanchez is moving to DH, and Myles Straw is now starting in left field. Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, manager John Schneider said Springer is available off the bench Saturday.

Okamoto isn't starting Saturday against the Phillies.

Okamoto is out of the lineup for the first time since July 28 after going 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts Friday and batting just 2-for-18 with nine punchouts over his previous four contests, mainly while covering first base as Vladimir Guerrero dealt with a hamstring issue. Guerrero will return to action Saturday, while Josh Smith makes another start at the hot corner.

Kirk isn't in the starting lineup Saturday versus Philadelphia.

Kirk will begin on the bench after starting both Thursday and Friday, going 4-for-8 with three RBI in that pair of contests. Brandon Valenzuela is getting a turn behind the plate in Kirk's stead.

Junis (adductor) threw out to 90 feet Friday and expects to toss a bullpen session Monday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Junis landed on the 15-day injured list July 30 due to a left adductor strain. The fact that he's throwing suggests that the issue isn't severe, and Junis has said that he's hoping for a quick recovery. However, it's unclear at this point if he'll be ready to return when first eligible Aug. 13.

Ramirez isn't starting for Cleveland versus the White Sox on Saturday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Ramirez didn't start Tuesday or Wednesday due to a sore left hand, but he returned to the lineup Thursday and Friday, going 2-for-7 with two walks, four runs and a stolen base over the pair of contests. It's not immediately clear if his absence Saturday is due to continued soreness or if it's just a rest day. Angel Genao is starting at third base in Ramirez's stead, while Chase DeLauter is serving as the DH.

The Rangers optioned Peoples to Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.

Peoples has posted a 2.19 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 12.1 innings since joining the Rangers in early July, but he'll end up as the odd man out of Texas' bullpen following MacKenzie Gore's return from paternity leave. Peoples has also performed well at Triple-A this season (2.39 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and is a likely candidate to return to the majors later this season whenever the Rangers need a fresh arm.

The Rangers reinstated Gore from the paternity list Saturday.

Gore has been away from the team since Wednesday while welcoming a new addition to his family, and he'll now return to the active roster with two days to spare before his next scheduled start Monday in Anaheim. Ben Peoples was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The White Sox selected Smith's contract from Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday.

The White Sox have exhausted their bullpen depth across their last two games, so they'll bring up Smith and Tanner McDougal to inject their staff with some fresh arms. Smith missed about a month of action after suffering a shoulder injury in June but has given up just one run in 6.1 innings since returning. He'll presumably take on a middle-relief role to begin his big-league career but projects as a starter in the long term.

The White Sox recalled McDougal from Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday.

McDougal will join the big-league roster to help replace David Sandlin and Noah Schultz, both of whom were optioned to Triple-A on Saturday. McDougal has served exclusively as a reliever since returning from a forearm injury in July, logging a 4.26 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over his last 12.2 innings.

The White Sox designated Gonzalez for assignment Saturday.

Gonzalez has spent most of his time this season at Triple-A Charlotte, where he owns a 6.57 ERA and 1.74 WHIP through 24.2 innings. He'll now end up as the roster casualty necessary to make room on the 40-man for Hagen Smith, who was called up to the big leagues Saturday. Gonzalez has put up a 2.66 ERA in 20.1 career innings in the majors, but his poor performance in the minors this year could deter teams from claiming him off waivers.