MLB Player News

Cowser is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.

Cowser will retreat to the bench Wednesday, opening up a spot in center field for Cedric Mullins. With Austin Hays making a second straight start in left field after a four-game absence due to a rib injury, the Baltimore outfield is more crowded these days, but Hays and Cowser should have an edge over the struggling Mullins for starting roles alongside right fielder Anthony Santander more often than not. Cowser is hitting just .161 since the beginning of June but still holds a 206-point edge over Mullins in OPS on the season (.738 to .532).

Urias will start at third base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against Atlanta.

Urias will stick in the starting nine for the fourth game in a row, but his playing time should begin to trend down after Jorge Mateo returned from the 7-day injured list Tuesday. Though Mateo will occupy the keystone Wednesday, Urias will maintain a spot in the infield since everyday third baseman Jordan Westburg will get a rare day off.

Westburg is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.

Westburg will retreat to the bench Wednesday for what appears to be a routine maintenance day after he had started in 11 consecutive games. His absence will open up a spot in the starting nine for Ramon Urias, who will get the nod at third base.

Astros manager Joe Espada expects Diaz (finger) to be available to return to the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Diaz will miss a third straight start Wednesday in San Francisco due to a sore right index finger, but Espada indicated the catcher is nearly recovered and will be available off the bench. Espada also noted that Diaz's finger issue primarily affects his throwing and accuracy, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, so it's possible that Diaz could return to the lineup as a designated hitter initially.

Stanton went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run and an additional RBI in Tuesday's 10-1 win against Kansas City.

Stanton produced an RBI on a fielder's choice in the first inning and added a 446-foot solo blast in the seventh. It was a positive bounce-back after the slugger went 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts during the weekend's three-game series versus the Dodgers. Stanton's .229 batting average on the season isn't ideal, but he's tied for ninth in the league with 16 homers and has added 38 RBI along with 29 runs through 245 plate appearances.

Cameron will start in center field and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Set for his fourth start in five games, Cameron's playing time is on the upswing, but he probably hasn't done enough to take control of an everyday role just yet. He went 1-for-11 with three strikeouts over his prior three starts and is now slashing .200/.200/.314 in 35 plate appearances over 11 games for Oakland since getting a call-up from Triple-A Las Vegas on May 23.

The Mariners recalled de Geus from Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday.

De Geus made four appearances out of the Seattle bullpen earlier this season, allowing one run over 3.1 innings. He'll likely be used mostly in low-leverage situations while he's up with the Mariners.

The Mariners optioned Diaz to Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday.

Diaz made a spot start in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox in place of the injured Bryan Woo (arm), allowing three runs over 5.1 innings in a no-decision. Woo's status remains in limbo, and Diaz could be considered for a call-up if Woo ends up landing on the injured list before his next turn through the rotation comes up.

The Astros announced Wednesday that Tucker (shin) isn't expected to be ready to return from the 10-day injured list Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Tucker is feeling better as he works his way back from a bruised right shin, but he hasn't yet resumed baseball activities and won't be ready for activation when first eligible. The Astros have mostly been using Trey Cabbage in right field against right-handers and Chas McCormick versus lefties since Tucker was shut down with the injury.

McCormick is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants.

It marks the fifth time in a row that McCormick has been out of the lineup versus a right-hander. He did draw a start each of the last three game against lefties, but it would appear at the moment that McCormick's role is as a short-side platoon bat. Yordan Alvarez and Trey Cabbage are handling the corner outfield spots and Jon Singleton will be the designated hitter for the Astros on Wednesday.