MLB Player News

Astros manager Joe Espada said Thursday that he's hopeful Tucker (shin) will be ready to begin baseball activities this weekend, Casey Drottar of MLB.com reports.

Tucker's recovery from a right shin contusion has come along more slowly than expected, but he seems to have made some progress in recent days. Because he's already missed more than two weeks, Tucker could require a brief rehab assignment before returning from the 10-day injured list.

Langeliers is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

Kyle McCann will draw the start behind the dish while Langeliers rests for a day game after a night game. Langeliers went 0-for-7 with four strikeouts over the first two games of the series with Kansas City, bringing his batting average down to .198 for the season.

Toro (shoulder) is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

Toro will miss out on a third consecutive start while he recovers from a sore shoulder, an injury that first cropped up in the Athletics' doubleheader with the Twins on Sunday. Aledmys Diaz will fill in at third base Thursday for Toro, who is considered day-to-day.

Muller (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday, MLB.com reports.

The left-hander began a throwing program June 6, and he appears to be progressing through it without setbacks. If all goes well with Sunday's bullpen session, Muller is slated to head out for a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas at some point during the following week.

Hernaiz (ankle) has begun a hitting progression, MLB.com reports.

Hernaiz was able to shed his walking boot in the first half of June, and he's now graduated to baseball work from the strength and fitness program. The infielder will likely progress to full baseball activities after the hitting progression before eventually embarking on what could be a fairly robust rehab assignment.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Thursday that Caratini will undergo imaging on his injured left quadricep, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Caratini was removed from Wednesday's 4-1 win over the White Sox due to the injury and remained "pretty sore" Thursday, according to Espada. The skipper thinks Caratini could require a stint on the 10-day injured list, but the club will wait for the MRI results to come in before making that decision. Houston is already carrying Cesar Salazar and Cooper Hummel on the roster as additional catcher options behind Yainer Diaz and Caratini.

Ruiz (wrist) is progressing through a strengthening program and is expected to begin baseball activities within two weeks of its completion, MLB.com reports.

News has been relatively sparse regarding Ruiz's recovery from the wrist strain that landed him on the injured list nearly a month ago, and this report underscores how deliberate the rehab program has been. Given the timeline implied, it seems a virtual certainty Ruiz won't be ready for activation until after the All-Star break when also factoring in what should be a fairly lengthy rehab assignment.

Polanco (hamstring) took a full game's worth of plate appearances as the designated hitter in Triple-A Tacoma's win over Las Vegas on Wednesday, going 1-for-4 with a walk and a run.

Polanco's ability to play in back-to-back games for the second time in his rehab assignment appears to bode well for his chances of imminent activation. The veteran infielder already logged seven innings on defense Tuesday, so there may be nothing left to prove for Polanco in terms of the fitness of his previously ailing hamstring.

Corniell will undergo season-ending surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Corniell has been sidelined all season with an elbow issue. While his injury was initially referred to as inflammation when he went on the 7-day injured list at Double-A Frisco back in early April, subsequent testing revealed a more serious concern. It's not yet clear whether Corniell will have a full Tommy John surgery or internal brace procedure, but in either case he won't pitch again in 2024 and is likely to miss at least a large chunk, if not all, of the 2025 season.

Rortvedt is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays had initially planned to give Rortvedt a day off Wednesday, but the team later updated its lineup and included the 26-year-old at catcher for a fourth consecutive contest. After delivering two hits in Wednesday's 3-2 extra-inning win, Rortvedt will receive a breather for Thursday's day game. Alex Jackson will step in for Rortvedt behind the plate.