MLB Player News

The Rays will activate Rasmussen (elbow) from the 60-day injured list prior to Wednesday's game in St. Louis, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rasmussen has completed the long rehab from an internal brace procedure on his right elbow and is slated to serve as a one- or two-inning reliever for the Rays down the stretch, per Topkin. The right-hander allowed seven runs over 7.1 innings during his minor-league rehab assignment but also had an 8:0 K:BB and touched the upper-90s with his fastball. While the Rays will manage Rasmussen's workload in the final two months as a reliever this season, the plan is for him to return to a starting role in 2025.

Alvarez went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run Tuesday against the Rangers.

Alvarez slugged his 21st home run of the season and his first since July 21. His power has dipped significantly from past seasons -- his .230 ISO is 60 points below his mark in 2023 -- which has also significantly cut into his counting stats. While Alvarez remains a strong source of batting average, the rest of his line has suffered.

Leon is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Rangers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Leon started in right field in three straight games Saturday through Monday, but he's now been on the bench for the final two games of the series in Arlington. Mauricio Dubon will patrol right field Wednesday.

Bibee (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday and could be cleared to start Sunday in Minnesota, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Bibee's last start came July 29, when he gave up two runs over six innings in a win over the Tigers. He experienced right shoulder discomfort coming out of that outing, and while he's now missed more than a week, Bibee seems to have shown some improvement in recent days and still looks poised to avoid a stint on the injured list. After playing catch earlier in the week, Bibee will take another major step forward in the recovery process when he steps back on the mound Thursday. Assuming Bibee experiences no renewed discomfort after the bullpen session, he should be on track to rejoin the rotation Sunday, though he could be operating under some light restrictions.

McCormick is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Rangers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

McCormick had started in each of the previous three games but failed to record a base hit. The Astros will go with Yordan Alvarez, Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubon as their starting outfield Wednesday.

Singleton is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Rangers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Zach Dezenzo is getting the call at first base in Singleton's place, and the rookie could have an opportunity to overtake the veteran on the depth chart down the stretch. Singleton has slashed just .232/.316/.355 in 89 contests with the Astros this season.

The Guardians recalled Gillispie from Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday.

Gillispie was optioned to Triple-A on Monday, but he'll be eligible to rejoin the Guardians two days later since Cleveland is designating him as its 27th man for Wednesday's doubleheader with the Diamondbacks. The right-handed reliever will presumably head back to Columbus once the twin bill is completed.

Freeman is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Diamondbacks.

Freeman had started in center field in both of the Guardians' last two matchups with right-handed pitching, but he'll take a seat for the first game of the day while Arizona sends righty Brandon Pfaadt to the mound. Angel Martinez will get the nod in center field for the early game, but expect the right-handed-hitting Freeman to join the starting nine for the nightcap, when the Guardians face lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.

Fry is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Diamondbacks.

The Guardians are giving Jose Ramirez some time off third base in the first game of the day and deploying him at designated hitter, so Fry will be the odd man out of the Cleveland lineup. Expect Fry to return to the starting nine for the nightcap and take on a prominent spot in the batting order while the Guardians oppose lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.

Dezenzo went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Tuesday against the Rangers.

Dezenzo had his contract selected from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday and made his big-league debut the same day. He started at designated hitter and batted seventh in the order and could continue to see regular at-bats at a combination of first base and DH for the foreseeable future. Dezenzo's ability to contribute immediately is unclear as he had only 53 plate appearances with Sugar Land, though he has maintained high walk rates paired with some decent pop throughout his time in the minors.