MLB Player News

Baez was scratched from the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners due to right hip discomfort, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Baez went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer during Tuesday's contest, and it's unclear when he suffered the injury. The 31-year-old should be considered day-to-day until the team updates his status. Zach McKinstry is starting at shortstop Wednesday with Baez banged up.

Witt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's win against the Twins. He was also caught stealing.

Witt took Louie Varland deep in the third inning to record his 24th home run of the season. Witt exited Monday's game early with a bruised forearm, but he did not miss a beat as he continues to dominate in August. The 24-year-old is already up to five home runs this month with 13 RBI, 11 runs scored and a pristine .347 batting average in 12 games played.

Erceg did not allow a baserunner in 1.1 innings en route to earning his fifth save of the season Wednesday against the Twins. He did not record a strikeout.

Erceg was called upon with two runners on and two out in the eighth inning. The 29-year-old promptly induced a groundout to end the threat before pitching a flawless ninth inning to record his second save as a member of the Royals. Erceg has been dominant since coming over from the Athletics at the trade deadline, allowing just three hits over 7.2 scoreless innings with a flawless 8:0 K:BB. Erceg has handled the last two save opportunities and appears to be the closer moving forward with Hunter Harvey (back) on the shelf and James McArthur owning a 5.01 ERA on the season.

Malloy is starting in left field and batting seventh Wednesday against the Tigers.

The 24-year-old was initally absent from the starting nine Wednesday, but he'll end up receiving a start since Javier Baez (undisclosed) was scratched. Malloy has a .642 OPS through 10 games in August, and he could see a diminished role going forward with Kerry Carpenter back from the injured list.

Baez was scratched from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners for unspecified reasons.

Baez was scheduled to start at shortstop and bat ninth, but he's now been removed from the starting nine. It's unclear if he's dealing with an injury, but an update should be provided in the near future. Justyn-Henry Malloy will enter the lineup in Baez's place and start in left field, pushing Zach McKinstry to shortstop.

Gray (groin) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Gray has been out of action since late July due to a right groin strain, and Wednesday appears to be the first time he's thrown off a mound since suffering the injury. The 32-year-old will require time to build back up to a starter's workload through either simulated games or a rehab assignment, so he'll likely a few weeks away from coming off the 15-day injured list.

Latz (forearm) will throw a bullpen session Thursday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Thursday will mark the first time Latz has thrown off a mound since he landed on the injured list Sunday with forearm tightness. The Rangers have yet to offer a timeline for the 28-year-old southpaw to come off the IL.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that Eovaldi (oblique) will make his next start Saturday against the Twins, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Eovaldi suffered a low-grade right oblique strain during his most recent start this past Saturday versus the Yankees, but he was able to throw a bullpen session Wednesday without any problems. Now seemingly past the oblique injury, he'll receive a few extra days of rest before returning to the Texas rotation. Eovaldi will match up against a Twins offense that ranks fourth in the American League with a .755 OPS for the season.

Varland (0-5) took the loss Wednesday against the Royals, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out three.

Optioned to Triple-A following Friday's start, Varland was recalled Wednesday to make his second start since June 16. The 26-year-old managed to notch his first quality start of the season, but he was fortunate to surrender just the three runs. The right-hander allowed baserunners in all six innings he pitched while yielding solo home runs to Bobby Witt and Paul DeJong. Varland will continue to vie for the Twins' fifth rotation spot with Joe Ryan (shoulder) and Chris Paddack (forearm) sidelined, but his 6.14 ERA and 1.64 WHIP across 36.2 innings this season do not inspire confidence.

Brown is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.

The lefty-hitting Brown will hit the bench Wednesday while the Mets send southpaw David Peterson to the hill. Tyler Nevin will replace Brown at first base.