MLB Player News

The Yankees recalled Effross from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

The right-hander has spent the past couple weeks with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but will rejoin the Yankees ahead of Friday's series opener versus the Mets. Effross delivered a scoreless frame in his lone appearance of the season for the Yankees on June 17.

Lukes went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI in Thursday's win over the Yankees.

Getting the start in center field and batting leadoff with Bo Bichette (knee) not quite ready to return, Lukes provided a spark in an 8-5 victory that completed a four-game sweep of the Yankees and launched the Blue Jays into first place in the AL East. The 30-year-old outfielder has been fairly productive since returning from a concussion June 20, batting .286 (10-for-35) in his last 12 games with two doubles, five runs, seven RBI and a 6:4 BB:K. However, Lukes' playing time will likely take a hit once Daulton Varsho (hamstring) is ready to come off the IL, which could happen before the All-Star break.

Burr (shoulder) struck out two in a scoreless inning for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.

The righty reliever has a 3.52 ERA and an 11:5 K:BB over 7.2 Triple-A innings during his rehab stint, and he appears just about ready to come off the 60-day IL. Burr has yet to pitch in the majors this season after shoulder issues cropped up during spring training, but he could provide a boost to a Blue Jays bullpen that has handled a heavy workload in the first half. Over 32.2 innings for Toronto in 2024, Burr posted a 4.13 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 47:12 K:BB.

Varsho (hamstring) is expected to begin a rehab assignment within the next few days, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

The center fielder has been on the shelf since May 31, but he's been ramping up his running over the last week and appears close to being ready for game action. A return before the All-Star break remains a possibility for Varsho, who was slashing .207/.240/.543 with eight homers in 24 contests prior to straining his hamstring.

Ramirez went 0-for-4 in Thursday's 1-0 loss to the Cubs.

Ramirez continued a hitless streak that reached 21 at-bats Thursday. Twenty of those at-bats occurred after he was hit by a pitch on the forearm and forced to miss one game. The slump dropped Ramirez's season batting average to .297, the first time it's been below .300 since May 19.

The Yankees placed Schmidt (forearm) on the 15-day injured list Friday.

The right-hander was removed from Thursday's start against the Blue Jays due to right forearm tightness, and the Yankees won't wait for the results of Friday's MRI to move him to the injured list. Schmidt will be eligible to be reinstated shortly after the All-Star break, but a lengthier absence wouldn't be surprising given the nature of the injury.

Meadows went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 11-7 loss to the Nationals.

Meadows has started to get going after a belated start to his season due to a nerve issue in his right arm. The outfielder is batting just .202 overall, but he's upped that to .281 (9-for-32) over his last 10 games. Meadows continues to provide strong defense in center, which keeps him in the starting lineup most days, and he can provide a good mix of power and speed when he's at his best offensively. The 25-year-old does regularly sit against lefties, however, which limits his fantasy upside to a degree,

Torres went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 11-7 loss to the Nationals.

Torres has been locked in lately, going 12-for-40 (.300) over his last 10 games with two home runs, six RBI and 10 runs scored. That strong play has earned the second baseman a starting nod in the All-Star Game in his first season with the Tigers, and he's poised for a productive second half batting ahead of powerful hitters such as Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson.

Torkelson went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 11-7 loss to the Nationals.

Torkelson got the scoring started for Detroit in the first inning with his 19th home run of the season. It also bumped the first baseman up to 55 RBI, which is good for second on the team behind All-Star starter Riley Greene's 69. Torkelson is only batting .234, and he's striking out a little more than 23 percent of the time, but he delivers his fantasy value from his ability to put the ball over the wall and drive in runs.

Schneemann started at second base Thursday against the Cubs and went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.

The 28-year-old came off the bench to fill in at shortstop for Gabriel Arias (ankle) on Sunday, but Brayan Rocchio has stepped in as Cleveland's shortstop with Arias now on the injured list. Schneemann has seen most of his action at second base this season but also has multiple starts at shortstop, third base and all three outfield spots. He finished May with a .779 OPS but is batting just .188 (12-for-64) with four extra-base hits since the start of June.