MLB Player News

The Blue Jays scratched Okamoto from the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox due to a left knee contusion.

Toronto called up utility player Charles McAdoo from Triple-A Buffalo as part of a flurry of roster moves Monday, and he'll wind up stepping into the starting nine at third base in place of the banged-up Okamoto. Though the bruised knee is likely causing Okamoto discomfort, he should avoid a trip to the injured list so long as he's not dealing with any sort of sprain or structural damage. Okamoto continues to lead the Blue Jays in home runs (24), RBI (70) and runs (61), but his season average has dropped 14 points since the All-Star break down to .225 while he's struck out at a 32.3 percent clip in the second half.

The Royals optioned McGee to Triple-A Omaha on Monday.

His spot on the roster will be absorbed by veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel. McGee was rocked for six runs in a two-inning relief appearance Sunday versus the Cubs.

Encarnacion-Strand is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins.

With the hot-hitting Tyler O'Neill seemingly solidifying himself as the Orioles' primary designated hitter, Encarnacion-Strand looks to have faded into a timeshare at third base with Coby Mayo, who will cover the position in Monday's series opener. Encarnacion-Strand will hit the bench for the third time in four contests while he's gone just 3-for-27 with a 2:8 BB:K over his last 10 games.

The Orioles recalled Sanders from Triple-A Norfolk on Monday.

Sanders made two scoreless appearances for the Orioles in July and is back for another go-round with the big club. The 29-year-old will fill a middle-relief role.

The Orioles optioned Povich to Triple-A Norfolk on Monday.

Povich started Sunday's game against the Rangers, yielding three runs on four hits and two walks over just three innings. With Chris Bassitt (back) due to return from the 60-day injured list later this week, Povich is headed back to Norfolk.

The Astros designated Whitcomb for assignment Monday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The transaction frees a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of waiver claim Nelson Velazquez. Whitcomb has slashed just .167/.216/.292 in his limited opportunities at the big-league level the past three seasons. The 27-year-old has hit .265/.342/.479 at the Triple-A level and can play all over the field defensively, so he could draw interest via waivers.

The Astros claimed Velazquez off waivers from the Cardinals on Monday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Velazquez had been booted off the Cardinals' 40-man roster this past weekend after slashing .216/.289/.432 with four home runs over 83 plate appearances. The 27-year-old is a candidate to get some starts in the outfield against left-handed pitching.

Monasterio is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.

On Sunday, interim manager Chad Tracy told Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald that he planned to give Monasterio a day off in the near future, and the skipper settled on Monday's series opener in Toronto for giving the shortstop a breather. Nick Sogard will slide over from second base to replace Monasterio, who had produced a robust .344/.408/.492 slash line with one home run, one stolen base, 14 RBI and nine runs while starting in each of the Red Sox's previous 17 games.

Yoshida (illness) will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in Monday's game against the Blue Jays.

After sitting out the previous two games while recovering from a bug that had been making its way around the Red Sox clubhouse, Yoshida has made enough progress in his recovery from the ailment to rejoin the lineup. The Red Sox will hope that the abbreviated absence won't disrupt Yoshida's rhythm at the plate; over his last seven games, he's gone 10-for-27 with a home run, three doubles, two walks, seven RBI and five runs.

The Blue Jays designated MacIver for assignment Monday.

Acquired from the Rangers in late April, MacIver didn't end up seeing any playing time at the big-league level with the Blue Jays during his time on the 40-man roster. The Blue Jays will expose the 29-year-old catcher to waivers after he produced a .270/.344/.459 slash line with seven home runs and four steals in 60 games at Triple-A Buffalo.