MLB Player News

The White Sox claimed Amaya off waivers from the Astros on Monday.

Amaya has spent virtually all of the 2024 campaign at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he has slashed only .223/.313/.336 across 291 plate appearances. The 25-year-old is primarily a shortstop but also has extensive experience at second base and a bit at third base. Amaya will report to Triple-A Charlotte.

The Rays optioned Lopez to Triple-A Durham on Monday.

Tampa Bay recalled Lopez from Triple-A to make a spot start Sunday in place of Shane Baz (illness), who was unable to make his turn through the rotation while recovering from the flu. Though Lopez settled for a no-decision in his second career MLB start, he held a talented Dodgers lineup to one run on two hits and two walks over five innings. The Rays' decision to demote Lopez likely indicates that Baz will be ready to take the hill when his next turn comes up this weekend versus the Padres.

The Rays selected Ramirez's contract from Triple-A Durham on Monday.

Ramirez will begin his second stint with the Rays of the season, as he was previously called up from Triple-A on April 20 and produced a 4.50 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 16 innings before being cast off the 40-man roster about a month later. The Rays optioned lefty Jacob Lopez to Triple-A in a corresponding move to clear a spot on the active roster for Ramirez, who will likely fill a multi-inning role out of the bullpen.

Ragans was removed from Monday's start against the Guardians in the fifth inning due to a left calf/hamstring cramp, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

After issuing a four-pitch walk to Lane Thomas to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, Ragans motioned to the dugout that something wasn't right. After a brief conversation with the trainer and manager Matt Quatraro, Ragans exited the field. Thankfully, he doesn't appear to be dealing with a long-term injury, although it's too soon to know whether Ragans' availability for his next start might be affected. He was charged with two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks over four-plus innings before being removed.

Urias, who was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on May 24, sports a .382 average and 1.093 OPS across 40 plate appearances over his last nine games.

Urias has been a mainstay for the Triple-A club since his demotion, but his current stretch, which includes two doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, five walks, a stolen base and 11 runs, has easily been his best yet while down on the farm. The hot hitting also bears zero resemblance to Urias' performance with the big-league club earlier this season, for which he limped to a .152/.264/.316 slash line across 34 games. Urias exclusively played third base while with the Mariners but has plenty of big-league experience at second base and shortstop. If new Mariners manager Dan Wilson wants to see what the veteran might be able to offer down the stretch, Urias will have to regain a spot on the 40-man roster after being removed from it back on June 4.

Alexander (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Saturday and could face live hitters at some point this week, the Associated Press reports.

This is the first report of Alexander picking up a ball since going on the IL on Tuesday with left rotator cuff tendinitis. The veteran southpaw appears to be making timely progress overall, and if he does indeed face hitters this week without setbacks, he could potentially return when eligible without the need for a rehab assignment.

Wilson (hamstring), who played a full game at shortstop in Triple-A Las Vegas' loss to Reno on Sunday and went 1-for-4 with a two-run double, is feeling great on his rehab assignment and could be activated from the IL this week, MLB.com reports.

The news was relayed via manager Mark Kotsay before Wilson played a full game Sunday, giving all the more weight to the statement. The rookie had notably logged seven innings on defense Saturday as well, seemingly corroborating his hamstring is back to full health. Wilson has swung a hot bat throughout his time with the Aviators, posting a .391 average (9-for-23) with three doubles, five RBI, two walks and four runs.

Smith (4-1) took the loss Sunday versus the Astros, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out two over one inning.

Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz went back-to-back on consecutive pitches in the seventh inning, and the Orioles weren't able to bounce back, leaving Smith with his first loss of the year. Smith was pretty effective after initially joining the Orioles in mid-July, but he's now been on the hook for multiple runs in three of his last four appearances. Since Aug. 10, he's allowed 10 runs (nine earned), including five home runs, over seven innings. Smith is now at a 4.84 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 41:11 K:BB overall 48.1 innings between Baltimore and Miami this year.

Soderstrom (wrist) has been hitting off a tee and is slated to start a soft toss hitting program near the end of the week, MLB.com reports.

The rookie has been ramping up his activity level in recent days, playing catch for the first first time on Wednesday and then advancing to swinging a bat over the weekend. Soderstrom still projects for a return at some point in September, which would give him an opportunity to build some momentum before heading into what is expected to be a key offseason for his development.

Turner went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Giants.

Turner's first multi-hit effort since Aug. 10 marked his sixth straight start hitting safely, albeit all via singles. The veteran has recorded just two extra-base hits across 66 plate appearances this month, and with 25 extra-base hits through 110 games, he's on pace for his lowest total in that category in a non-pandemic-shortened season since 2014. The lack of pop has resulted in him falling into a short-side platoon role, as he's started in only one of the Mariners' last three matchups with right-handed pitchers.