MLB Player News

Duran will start at designated hitter and bat ninth Wednesday against the Royals.

Duran will get a third consecutive start, this time handling a non-defensive role after he filled in at third base for Josh Jung in the previous two contests. Jung is back in the lineup Wednesday, and Josh Smith (hamstring) is expected to be back in the starting nine by the weekend, so Duran appears likely to be headed back to a bench role in the near future.

Waters is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers.

Waters is batting just .200/.243/.200 with a 29.7 percent strikeout rate since the beginning of June and appears to be fading into a part-time role. He'll hit the bench Wednesday for the fourth time in six contests.

Lowe is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

Lowe will head to the bench while the Rays go with a right-handed-heavy lineup featuring just one lefty hitter (Jonathan Aranda) to counter Orioles southpaw Trevor Rogers. Jose Caballero will fill in for Lowe in right field and bat seventh.

The Astros optioned Alexander to Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

The right-hander made a spot start for Houston on Tuesday and delivered a quality start against the A's with three runs (two earned) allowed over six innings. Alexander picked up his first win since 2022 with the performance, and he should be in the mix for a promotion the next time the Astros need some rotation depth or a long reliever.

Lowe is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

Lowe will head to the bench while the Rays go with a right-handed-heavy lineup featuring just one lefty hitter (Jonathan Aranda) to counter Orioles southpaw Trevor Rogers. Curtis Mead will fill in for Lowe at second base and will bat second.

The Astros recalled Hernandez from Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

All 29 of Hernandez's appearances this season have come in Triple-A, where he owns an impressive 1.74 ERA and 0.97 WHIP alongside a 42:13 K:BB through 31 innings. He'll now be called upon to serve as a middle-relief option for Houston, replacing Jason Alexander in the bullpen.

Thaiss is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

After going 0-for-2 while playing six innings behind the plate in Tuesday's 5-1 loss, Thaiss will retreat to the bench Wednesday while Danny Jansen gets the nod behind the plate. Since being acquired from the White Sox and activated May 28, Thaiss has started in seven of the Rays' ensuing 20 games and has batted .250 with no extra-base hits.

The Astros placed Rodgers on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, retroactive to June 15, due to a left oblique strain, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Rodgers presumably sustained the injury the last time he saw the field Saturday against Minnesota, as he went 1-for-2 before being replaced by a pinch hitter. The veteran second baseman will be eligible to be reinstated from the injured list next week, though it's unclear how long he's expected to be sidelined.

The Astros recalled Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Four days after being optioned to Triple-A, Whitcomb will rejoin the big-league roster to replace Brendan Rodgers, who landed on the IL with a strained oblique. Whitcomb appeared in four games and went 0-for-7 during his first stint with the Astros this season, and he'll likely remain a bench bat for the big club this time around.

Carlson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

Carlson had made starts in the corner outfield in each of the last six games and went 9-for-21 with a solo home run, a stolen base and three additional runs, but he'll hit the bench Wednesday while Baltimore rolls out an outfield of Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Ramon Laureano from left to right. Ryan O'Hearn will serve as Baltimore's designated hitter Wednesday, but if he ends up seeing the bulk of his playing time at first base moving forward, the Orioles could cycle a number of players at the DH spot to afford Carlson regular playing time in the outfield.