MLB Player News

Rodriguez is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Marlins.

Rodriguez will be in the dugout Saturday for what is a scheduled off day for the 23-year-old outfielder, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. For the month of June, Rodriguez is slashing .260/.325/.397 with 12 runs, three home runs and eight RBI over 73 at-bats. Dylan Moore, Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley will man the outfield Saturday.

Velazquez is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Texas.

Velazquez will be out of the lineup Saturday for the third straight game. The lefty-hitting Vinnie Pasquantino will serve as the designated hitter and bat third against Rangers right-hander Jon Gray.

Renfroe is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Rangers.

Renfroe will take a seat Saturday after returning from the injured list Friday, going 0-for-3 with one walk and two strikeouts. The lefty-hitting Adam Frazier will start in right field Saturday and bat in the leadoff spot against Rangers right-hander Jon Gray.

The Astros recalled Contreras from Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

After being optioned to Triple-A on Friday, Contreras is back with the big club with Jake Bloss (shoulder) headed to the injured list. Contreras has pitched well in his 19 outings with Sugar Land this season, posting a 1.40 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 20:7 K:BB over 19.1 innings. The 28-year-old right-hander could make his major-league debut out of the bullpen in his second call-up with the Astros.

Cisnero (shoulder) threw from 120 feet Friday, per MLB.com.

Cisnero had previously thrown from 120 feet in mid-May but then had his throwing program halted after suffering lower-back tightness. The righty reliever appears to be back on track in his rehab, though it's unclear how far away he is from being ready to return to the Angels' bullpen. Cisnero hasn't pitched in a game since April 27, so he may require a rehab assignment before being activated from the injured list.

The Astros optioned Hernandez to Triple-A Sugar Land following Friday's game against Baltimore, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Hernandez was recalled by the Astros on June 18 after Justin Verlander (neck) was placed on the injured list. In his one outing during this stint with the big club, Hernandez gave up five runs on five hits -- including three home runs -- and one walk while striking out two over 1.1 innings in Friday's 14-11 win over the Orioles.

Williams (elbow) struck out four and allowed one earned run on four hits and no walks across five innings in his rehab start Friday with Triple-A Columbus.

Making the fifth start of his rehab assignment, Williams delivered his longest outing yet in terms of both innings and pitches (66, 47 strikes). A decision on Williams' next step hasn't been decided, but the Guardians may want to see him get over the 70-pitch mark with one more rehab start during the upcoming week before he makes his long-awaited return from the 60-day injured list. The young right-hander has been on the shelf all season with elbow discomfort, an injury that stemmed from him making an awkward throw during a weighted-ball workout in spring training.

Rendon (hamstring) took grounders, hit and ran Friday, per MLB.com.

Rendon continues to ramp up as he attempts to return to action after being diagnosed with a high-grade partial tear of his left hamstring in late April. The veteran third baseman's next step in his rehab is expected to include cutting while running as part of his agility drills. If Rendon continues to make progress, he could be activated from the injured list in early-to-mid July.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Saturday that Bloss will be placed on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

It's a blow for the soon-to-be 23-year-old Bloss, who made his major-league debut Friday against the Orioles. He was lifted after 3.2 innings due to right shoulder discomfort, after allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two. With Bloss and Justin Verlander (neck) on the injured list, the Astros will likely have to decide on a fill-in starter from either the bullpen or the minors, though they have multiple off days next week.

O'Neill is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Reds, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

O'Neill will hit the bench after going 0-for-7 with two walks over the Red Sox's previous two contests, but he's been excellent overall since making his return from a three-game absence due to a knee issue earlier this month, slashing .273/.342/.697 since June 12. Even though he finds himself as the odd man out of the Boston outfield Saturday while the team brings Wilyer Abreu (ankle) back from the injured list, O'Neill should continue to handle a near-everyday role for the Red Sox.