MLB Player News

Laureano will start in left field and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

Since Tyler O'Neill (neck) landed on the injured list last Saturday, Laureano has moved into a near-everyday role in the Baltimore outfield. Laureano will pick up his sixth start in seven games Wednesday and is batting out of the No. 5 spot for the second day in a row.

Urias will start at third base and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

The 30-year-old will draw his sixth consecutive start and looks as though he'll be in store for a regular role in the infield while Jordan Westburg (hamstring) is on the shelf. Urias won't carry much fantasy appeal, however, as he boasts strong contact skills but lacks power or speed and often bats in the bottom half of the lineup.

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

The switch-hitting Cabrera has been occupying the stronger side of a de facto platoon at third base with the right-handed-hitting Oswald Peraza, so the latter player will enter the lineup Wednesday while the Orioles send southpaw Cade Povich to the bump. Dating back to April 4, Cabrera is slashing .313/.389/.391 with one home run, 11 runs and eight RBI in 18 games, a level of production that could allow him to remain the Yankees' primary third baseman even once DJ LeMahieu (calf/hip) is cleared to return from the injured list.

Bellinger is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Baltimore.

With a lefty (Cade Povich) on the mound for the Orioles, Yankees manager Aaron Boone likely decided that Wednesday was an optimal time to give the left-handed-hitting Bellinger his first day off since April 19. Trent Grisham will get the nod in center field while Bellinger's nine-game starting streak comes to an end.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Scherzer (thumb) threw another bullpen session Wednesday that went "fairly well," Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Schneider said that Scherzer is "definitely making progress," adding that "the feedback has been a lot better" during the 40-year-old's last two bullpen sessions. Scherzer will throw off a mound again Thursday or Friday and, if that goes well, he could begin a more structured ramp-up schedule as he eyes a return to the Toronto rotation.

Lauer is slated to work in bulk relief behind opening pitcher Yariel Rodriguez in Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Though he won't be deployed in a traditional starting role while he makes his first big-league appearance since 2023, Lauer is built up to handle 90 pitches and should have a better chance at qualifying for a win while working out of the bullpen. With Max Scherzer's (thumb) return from the injured list not yet imminent, Lauer could end up taking over as the fifth member of the Toronto rotation if he performs well in his team debut. The 29-year-old southpaw supplied a 4.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB in 24 innings with Triple-A Buffalo prior to his call-up Wednesday.

Swanson is headed back to Toronto to be examined after being scratched from a scheduled rehab appearance Tuesday with Single-A Dunedin due to right forearm soreness, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The righty had been slated to make his first game appearance after being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, but he felt more discomfort in his forearm while warming up. A plan will be mapped out for Swanson after he is re-evaluated, but his absence is likely to extend into at least mid-May.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday that Morton will work out of the bullpen moving forward, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

In lieu of re-signing Corbin Burnes or bringing aboard another frontline starter via trade or free agency this offseason, the Orioles brought Morton aboard on a one-year, $15 million deal with the hope that he would serve as a stable contributor in the middle of the rotation. That gambit has backfired, as Father Time appears to have finally caught up with Morton in his age-41 season. The Orioles deployed Morton in bulk relief in his last two appearances with the hope that the arrangement would yield better results, but the right-hander gave up four earned runs on six hits and six walks over six innings between those outings and now owns a 9.45 ERA and 2.17 WHIP for the season. Hyde hasn't closed the door on Morton starting again at some point down the road, but the veteran may need to turn in a few quality low-leverage appearances out of the bullpen before the Orioles insert him back into the rotation.

Schneemann will start at second base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Twins.

At least temporarily, Schneemann seems to have supplanted the struggling Brayan Rocchio for a regular spot in Cleveland's middle infield. For the second straight day, Rocchio finds himself on the bench against a right-handed starting pitcher (Pablo Lopez), while Schneemann has now been included in the lineup in five of the last six matchups with righties. According to Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, manager Stephen Vogt implied the hotter bat is Schneemann, who is slashing .379/.419/.586 dating back to April 13.

Rocchio is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.

After going 0-for-4 in Monday's series opener to bring his average down to .205 on the season, Rocchio finds himself on the bench against a right-handed starting pitcher for the second day in a row. According to Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, manager Stephen Vogt didn't explicitly say that Rocchio has been removed from his everyday role at shortstop, though the skipper noted that Gabriel Arias and Daniel Schneemann are playing better at the moment. With that in mind, Arias and Schneemann seem likely to operate as the Guardians' primary double-play tandem for the time being, though Rocchio could spell the left-handed-hitting Schneemann when the Guardians face left-handed pitching.