MLB Player News

Frazier is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians.

Frazier appeared set to take over as the Royals' primary second baseman when Michael Massey (back) was placed on the 10-day injured list May 26, but Nick Loftin has seen the majority of the starts at the keystone over the past week. The 32-year-old had been included in the lineup in both of the the Royals' previous two games, but both of his starts came in the corner outfield while Loftin manned second base. Neither Frazier nor Lofton will start Wednesday, however, as Garrett Hampson covers the keystone while MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe cover the corner-outfield spots.

Isbel (head) will start in center field and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Guardians.

After exiting Sunday's 4-3 win over the Padres when he was kneed in the head in a collision with teammate Bobby Witt, Isbel was withheld from the lineup for Tuesday's 8-5 loss, but he's back in action Wednesday. Garrett Hampson spelled Isbel in center field Tuesday but will move to second base for the second game of the series in Cleveland.

Casas (ribs) said Wednesday in an interview with NESN that he should be cleared to swing a bat before the end of the week.

Casas noted earlier this week that he's still experiencing some discomfort in his ribs when he rotates, but the 24-year-old expects to progress enough in the coming days to try swinging a bat. The first baseman still has several hurdles to clear in the recovery process before being ready for game action, but he said in his interview that he's hoping to be activated from the 60-day injured list "right around July 1."

Norby is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Toronto.

Norby started the first two games of the series and cranked his first major league home run (and hit) Tuesday, but he'll begin Wednesday's festivities on the bench. Jordan Westburg will play second base while Ramon Urias gets a start at third base.

Hays is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Toronto.

Hays went 3-for-7 with two home runs and a double in the first two games of the series, but he'll be given a breather for Wednesday's contest. Kyle Stowers will take over as the Orioles' starting left fielder.

Freeman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals.

Though he's moved out of the leadoff spot since the Guardians brought back Steven Kwan from the injured list Friday, Freeman has continued to thrive with four hits -- including a game-winning home run Tuesday -- and a stolen base over his last four games. Utility man Daniel Schneemann will get the nod in center field Wednesday in what looks to be little more than a maintenance day for Freeman, who had started in each of Cleveland's last 20 games.

Cowser is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Toronto.

Cowser has struggled over the last few weeks, producing a .431 OPS in his past 15 games. He'll be given a day off to regroup while Kyle Stowers starts in left field and Cedric Mullins covers center field.

Fry is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals.

Among all players with at least 140 plate appearances, Fry leads the majors with a 1.092 OPS on the season, but he still hasn't quite seized hold of a full-time role in Cleveland. He'll be on the bench for the second time in three games while the Guardians go with Bo Naylor at catcher and Kyle Manzardo at designated hitter.

Crawford's next scheduled start will be pushed back to early next week against the Phillies, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Crawford's next turn comes up Sunday versus the White Sox, but the Red Sox want to give him some extra rest given his recent struggles (he's allowed four or more earned runs in four of his last five starts). Boston is expected to go with a bullpen game Sunday.

The Astros transferred Urquidy (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The transaction frees up a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Nick Hernandez. Urquidy has been on the shelf all season with a right forearm strain, and after suffering a setback during his rehab assignment in late May, he underwent season-ending surgery on his elbow Wednesday. The Astros haven't disclosed whether Urquidy underwent the second Tommy John surgery of his career or another procedure, making his availability for the start of the 2025 season uncertain at the moment.