MLB Player News

Shewmake will start at third base and bat seventh in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Royals.

Shewmake will crack the lineup for the front end of the twin bill, but he seems to have moved into more of a utility infield role after he initially looked on track to unseat Paul DeJong as the team's primary shortstop. DeJong will cover shortstop for the fourth time in five games in Wednesday's opening contest.

Sosa is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Royals.

Sosa will likely start in the second game of the twin bill, but he'll give way to Braden Shewmake at third base in the opening contest of the day. Since Yoan Moncada (adductor) was placed on the injured list earlier this month, Sosa has settled in as Chicago's primary option at the hot corner. He had started each of the White Sox's last six games, going 3-for-23 with a pair of doubles, a walk, an RBI and two runs.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Verlander (shoulder) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut Friday against the Nationals, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Verlander got through a bullpen session Tuesday with no issues, clearing the way for his season debut after he completed his rehab program for right shoulder inflammation. The 41-year-old went four innings and threw 77 pitches in his last rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi over the weekend, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and one walk in the process. Verlander should be able to handle around 90 pitches Friday, although it's unclear whether the Astros have a specific pitch count in mind.

McCormick is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCormick recently overcame a hamstring issue before starting in each of Houston's last three games, so his absence from the lineup Wednesday is most likely for maintenance purposes as the Astros and Atlanta close their series with an afternoon contest. With McCormick on the bench, the Astros will run out an outfield of Yordan Alvarez, Mauricio Dubon and Kyle Tucker from left to right.

Meyers is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Meyers looks to be stuck in a timeshare in center field with Mauricio Dubon, as the two have now picked up three starts apiece at the position over the last seven games, with Chas McCormick drawing the other start. Valued mainly for his defensive contributions, Meyers has chipped in at the dish with four extra-base hits (two doubles, two home runs) through 41 plate appearances, but he's getting on base at a .293 clip this season.

Moncada (adductor) plans to head to extended spring training in the coming days to continue his rehab, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Moncada is just over a week removed from suffering a left adductor strain but is already feeling much better. The process will be deliberate, though, as he's on the 60-day injured list and isn't expected to return to action until around the All-Star break.

Kansas City recalled Veneziano from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Veneziano will serve as the 27th man for Wednesday's doubleheader against the White Sox. The lefty has made two starts and two relief appearances with Omaha this season, allowing four runs with an 8:4 K:BB across 11 innings. He'll likely be returned to Omaha following the doubleheader.

Bradish (elbow) yielded just one hit and struck out four over three scoreless innings in his first rehab start with Double-A Bowie on Tuesday.

Bradish needed just 44 pitches to cruise through his three frames and was hitting 95-to-96 mph on the radar gun, per Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com. It's a terrific first step for the right-hander as he works his way back from a partial UCL tear in his right elbow. Bradish will need a handful of rehab outings before rejoining the Orioles' rotation.

Kepler (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Kepler was cleared to run the bases this week and came out of it well, paving the way for his return to game action. He's missed the last week-and-a-half of action with a right knee contusion. Kepler shouldn't need too many rehab at-bats before being activated.

Schneider will start at second base and bat sixth in Wednesday's game versus the Yankees.

Schneider has made three prior appearances at second base this season, but he'll be making his first start at the position in 2024. It's his ninth start overall, with the first eight coming in left field. Schneider has collected a .752 OPS with two home runs in 37 plate appearances this season.