MLB Player News

Fletcher (shoulder) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday and went 2-for-7 with a solo home run and a walk in his first two rehab games with the club.

Fletcher had previously played in two rehab games in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League before reporting to Charlotte. The outfielder has been on the shelf since June 4 with a left shoulder strain and shouldn't require a lengthy rehab assignment, but the White Sox could nonetheless choose to keep him with Charlotte throughout the week since the team might not have a spot available for him on the big-league roster. Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert and Tommy Pham are the White Sox's regular starters in the outfield, with Corey Julks and Gavin Sheets available as depth options behind them.

The White Sox are still deciding on Clevinger's (elbow/neck) next step after a rainout Saturday prevented him from making his scheduled rehab start with Triple-A Charlotte, MLB.com reports. "This little break and the cortisone shot and now I don't have to worry about that anymore," Clevinger said Monday. "I'm hopeful this is going to be the last one of these things."

Clevinger had already made a pair of rehab starts for Charlotte on June 18 and 23, covering 7.2 innings between those outings while allowing seven earned runs on 11 hits and two walks. Despite the poor results, Clevinger had seemingly been encouraged by how he was coming along in his recovery from right elbow inflammation and a stiff neck, but his inability to make a third rehab start this weekend looks as though it'll push back his potential return from the 15-day injured list. Rather than having Clevinger make another rehab start, the White Sox could opt to have the right-hander throw a simulated game or live batting practice session in Chicago instead. If that's the case, Clevinger could still have an outside chance at rejoining the big-league rotation for this weekend's home series versus the Pirates.

Single-A Salem placed Cespedes on the 7-day injured list Wednesday with a broken hamate bone in his left hand that will likely require surgery, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Cespedes was recently promoted from the rookie-level Florida Complex League to Salem but experienced soreness in the hand before he could make his debut for the full-season affiliate. The issue lingered, and testing revealed the hamate fracture. If Cespedes opts for surgery, he could be at risk of missing the rest of the season. Recovery from hamate bone surgery typically requires 6-to-8 weeks, and Salem's season ends the first week of September. He had been one of the standout performers in the organization this season, raising his profile significantly.

Taveras went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Monday's 9-4 win over the Angels.

Taveras was in the middle of the Rangers' five-run fourth inning. He delivered a run on a single then scored after putting himself in scoring position following a steal. There aren't many players currently hitting better than Taveras, who has a seven-game hit streak and ranks ninth in MLB with a .458 average (11-for-24) over the last week.

Lowe went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 9-4 win over the Angels.

Lowe continued a recent surge at the plate and has hit safely eight of nine games, going 15-for-36 (.417) with three home runs and 11 RBI over that stretch. After a brief stint batting third while Josh Smith was unavailable, Lowe has returned to the sixth spot in the order.

Rendon went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Monday's loss to Texas.

Rendon returned from a stint on the 60-day injured list due to a torn hamstring and batted leadoff while playing third base. The veteran didn't appear to have any lingering effects of the injury and plated his team's final run with a single in the seventh inning. Rendon is expected to be a near-everyday part of Los Angeles' lineup moving forward, though he may see some starts at DH to help him ease back into action after the long layoff.

Langford went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, an additional run and a double against the Angels in Monday's 9-4 victory.

Langford finished off the scoring for Texas in the win with a two-run shot to left field in the seventh inning. The rookie has reached base in 10 straight games and is batting a scorching .432 (16-for-37) with two homers, four doubles, eight RBI and seven runs during that stretch. After a slow start to the campaign, Langford has lifted his season slash line to .273/.338/.414 with five homers, 39 RBI, 30 runs and seven steals over 275 plate appearances.

Seager went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, an additional run and a double in Monday's 9-4 win against the Angels.

Seager helped Texas get off to a fast start with his massive 457-foot, two-run blast in the first frame. The shortstop added a double in the seventh for his third straight multi-hit effort. Seager also extended his overall hitting streak to 13 games, and during that stretch he's batting .373 (19-for-51) with three homers, seven doubles, 10 RBI, nine runs and a stolen base.

Daniel (1-2) took the loss against Texas on Monday, allowing seven runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out three batters over 3.2 innings.

Daniel served up a two-run homer to Corey Seager in the first inning, then made it through the next two frames unscathed. However, he fell apart in the fourth, allowing five hits and plunking a batter before being pulled with two outs after the Rangers racked up five runs. Daniel had a magical first outing of the campaign when he struck out eight over eight scoreless innings against Detroit on June 27, but he's struggled since, giving up 12 runs (11 earned) over nine innings across his subsequent two appearances.

Gray (4-4) earned the win over the Angels on Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two batters over five innings.

Gray wasn't overpowering with just six whiffs and two punchouts, but he got seven runs of support through four frames and stuck around long enough to pick up the win. The veteran right-hander didn't provide much length, though, and he's pitched more than five innings only once in his past eight starts. Gray has also been tepid in the strikeout department this season -- his 7.7 K/9 is on pace for his lowest career mark with the exception of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.