MLB Player News

Clemens will start at second base and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Reds.

Clemens started just once in the Twins' last six games while the team faced off against five left-handed pitchers, but he finds himself in the starting nine for the third consecutive matchup with a righty. Outfielder Harrison Bader, meanwhile, has been on the bench for all three of those matchups with righties, so Bader and Clemens could end up forming a de facto righty/lefty platoon while the Twins have an open spot in the lineup with Royce Lewis (hamstring) on the injured list. Both Clemens and Bader could see their opportunities tail off once Lewis is back in action.

Sabrowski (elbow) allowed two runs on three hits while striking out one over one inning for Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.

Sabrowski, who's battled left shoulder inflammation, continues up the rehab ladder. He threw two outings in the ACL followed by one at Double-A Akron. Tuesday's outing was his third with the Clippers. Sabrowski could be activated any day now.

Bader is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Reds.

With Bader resting in the series finale, Willi Castro will move to Bader's usual spot in left field, while Kody Clemens enters the lineup at the keystone. Bader brings excellent defense in the outfield, but he's slashing just .176/.275/.353 since the middle of May and has now sat out three straight matchups with right-handed starting pitchers. He could be at risk of losing out on more playing time once Royce Lewis (hamstring) returns from the injured list to bring the Twins' position player group back to full strength.

Jeffers (hand) will start at catcher and bat eighth in Thursday's contest versus the Reds.

Jeffers sat out Wednesday's contest after being struck in his right hand by a foul tip Tuesday. He escaped with merely a bruise and is ready to roll for Thursday's series finale.

Chisholm went 1-for-4 with a home run in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Angels.

Chisholm got the Yankees on the board in the second inning with a 407-foot blast off Jack Kochanowicz, tying the game at 1-1. It's the 10th homer of the year for Chisholm, who's batting .326 with three long balls and four steals in 13 games since returning from a month-long IL stint. Overall, Chisholm is slashing .223/.335/.459 with 25 RBI, 23 runs scored and 10 stolen bases across 176 plate appearances this season.

Bellinger went 2-for-4 with a home run in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Angels.

Bellinger put the Yankees ahead 2-1 in the fourth inning with his 10th homer of the year, a 358-foot blast off Jack Kochanowicz into the short porch in right field. The long ball was Bellinger's first since June 5 -- he'd gone just 8-for-41 (.195) in 10 games prior to Wednesday. Overall, Bellinger's batting .251 with a .762 OPS, 37 RBI, 37 runs scored and seven stolen bases through 284 plate appearances this season.

Schanuel went 1-for-5 with a home run in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Yankees.

Schanuel opened the scoring in the first inning Wednesday with a 396-foot blast off lefty Ryan Yarbrough, his fifth homer this season. The 23-year-old Schanuel has been hot at the plate, going 6-for-19 (.316) with a pair of long balls in his last four games. Overall, he's batting .281 with a .773 OPS, 37 runs scored, 25 RBI and three stolen bases across 297 plate appearances this year.

Kurtz went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run scored, an additional RBI and a double in a loss to the Astros on Wednesday.

Kurtz notched an RBI single in the sixth inning and added a solo blast to center field in the ninth. The long ball was Kurtz's third in his past four games, and all three have come in the ninth frame. The rookie slugger has collected his homers in bunches this season -- of his other five home runs, four came in a four-game span in late May.

Caratini went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in an 11-4 victory versus the Athletics.

The Astros put together a seven-run sixth inning, and Caratini's three-run blast to left field accounted for the team's final runs in that explosive frame. The veteran backstop began June in a 3-for-35 tailspin through 10 games, but he appears to be turning things around, going 5-for-8 over his past two contests. While Caratini continues to serve as Yainer Diaz's backup behind the plate, he's been in the lineup frequently with additional starts at both DH and first base, and he's put up a decent .718 OPS with four homers, 14 RBI and 16 runs through 167 plate appearances.

Altuve went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run in an 11-4 win against the Athletics on Wednesday.

Altuve's biggest contribution was a three-run homer in the sixth inning that was part of an explosive seven-run Houston frame. The veteran infielder/outfielder finished with three total hits, reaching that mark in a single game for the first time since he went 4-for-4 against the same A's squad May 27. Altuve does have five two-hit games so far in June, though, and he is batting a strong .310 with three homers, 12 RBI and two stolen bases through 15 games this month.