MLB Player News

The Twins optioned Julien to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday.

Julien has been unable to find his footing this season, slashing only .198/.288/.319 across 104 plate appearances. With both Royce Lewis (hamstring) and Willi Castro (oblique) retuning from the 10-day injured list, Julien's playing time was set to drop significantly, so he'll head to St. Paul where he can see regular reps.

The Twins activated Castro (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Castro hasn't played since mid-April because of the injury, but he will skip a rehab assignment and go right back onto the Twins' active roster. The super utility player will be in line for close to everyday playing time, likely alternating across multiple positions.

The Twins activated Lewis (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Lewis is poised to make his season debut Tuesday against the Orioles after missing the first month-plus of the season with a strained left hamstring late in spring training. He did not fare well at the plate in his six rehab games, going 4-for-23 with a 6:0 K:BB. Lewis also slashed a disappointing .233/.295/.452 in 82 contests with the Twins last season. Still, fantasy managers are likely going to want to have the talented 25-year-old in their lineups as long as Lewis is healthy.

Schmidt (side) is listed as the Yankees' probable starter for Tuesday's game against the Padres at Yankee Stadium, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Schmidt was scratched ahead of his previously scheduled start Saturday versus Tampa Bay due to left side soreness, but with an MRI on the injury coming back clean, the Yankees never expressed much concern that the right-hander would have to go on the injured list. Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that he anticipated Schmidt being ready to start Tuesday, and the 29-year-old's availability for that contest has now been confirmed. After getting off to a delayed start to the season while recovering from rotator cuff tendinitis that cropped up late in spring training, Schmidt has struggled over his first three starts with the Yankees, going 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 15:9 K:BB in 14.2 innings.

Rojas went 0-for-2 with a walk and an RBI in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Astros.

Rojas was activated from the injured list Sunday after a toe injury kept him sidelined for the first month of the season. He hit seventh in the order while starting at third base and managed a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning to collect his first RBI with the White Sox in his debut with the club. Rojas is projected to serve in a large-side platoon role moving forward.

Vasil (1-1) allowed one walk and no hits with zero strikeouts across 2.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Sunday against the Astros.

Vasil was claimed off waivers just before Opening Day and has served in a multi-inning relief role to begin the campaign. He has just a 13:12 K:BB across 19.2 innings, though he has surprisingly maintained a 0.92 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Those results look unlikely to continue, but Vasil has been a key to the team's bullpen.

Sosa went 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBI on Sunday against the Astros.

Sosa only has 10 RBI across 33 games this season, but five have come in his last 10 appearances. He's hitting a decent .256 for the campaign, but he has just a .086 ISO and also suffers from hitting in the bottom-third of the White Sox's order.

Eflin (lat) permitted two hits and two walks and struck out four over four shutout innings in his first rehab start with High-A Aberdeen on Sunday.

Eflin got his pitch count up to 58 in the outing. The Orioles will wait to see how the veteran right-hander bounces back from the start, and it's possible they'll ask him to make one more rehab start in order to build up his pitch count more before activating him from the 15-day injured list. However, Baltimore has an opening in its rotation May 10 versus the Angels, and there's a good chance Eflin fills it. The veteran hurler is working his way back from a right lat strain.

Kirby (shoulder) struck out four and allowed one earned run on one hit and no walks over three innings in his first rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday.

Pitching in a game setting for the first time since Feb. 26, Kirby performed about as well as the Mariners could have hoped, with a one-out solo home run in the third inning representing the only damage on his line. He otherwise avoided mistakes while spotting 33 of his 42 pitches for strikes and topping out at 97.8 miles per hour with his sinker. Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told MLB Network on Friday that he expects Kirby to require just 2-to-3 rehab starts prior to returning from the 15-day injured list, so the right-hander will be in line for another appearance in the minors next weekend before the organization determines his next step.

The Rangers could look to promote Carter from Triple-A Round Rock after placing Leody Taveras on outright waivers Sunday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Taveras could stick around in the Texas organization if no other team is willing to put in a claim for him and if he doesn't elect free agency after the waiver process concludes, but he would be taken off the Rangers' 40-man roster and would have to report to the minors. In any case, Taveras' expected removal from the roster would create a need for an extra outfielder, and Carter would seem to be a logical option to replace him. After failing to win a spot on the Opening Day roster following a rough spring training, Carter got off to a slow start at Round Rock but has picked up the pace at the plate since about mid-April, slashing .271/.327/.500 with two home runs and three stolen bases over his last 12 games. Carter could provide a shot in the arm to a Rangers offense that currently ranks 27th in the majors with a team .282 wOBA for the season.