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Cade Cavalli SP | WAS
Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Velo down, leaves start early
Cavalli was lifted midway through the third inning of his start Sunday against the Pirates due to an apparent injury, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports. He allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 2.1 innings prior to departing.
Fresh off striking out a career-high 13 batters while yielding just one hit over seven innings in his previous start Tuesday in Boston, Cavalli was unable to keep the momentum going. He needed 63 pitches to record his seven outs, and seemed to be pitching through an injury during the start. His velocity was down from its usual levels throughout the afternoon, and he was visited on the mound by the Nationals' athletic trainer at one point during the second inning before leaving the game one frame later. Expect manager Blake Butera to shed light on Cavalli's condition when he address the media following Sunday's game.
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Byron Buxton CF | MIN
Twins' Byron Buxton: Exits early Sunday
Buxton was removed from Sunday's game against the Yankees prior to the bottom of the first inning due to an apparent injury, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.
After reaching base on an infield single in his first at-bat, Buxton was thrown out trying to steal second base, ending a streak of 37 consecutive successful attempts that dated back to May 1, 2024. More significantly, the star center fielder appeared to suffer an injury on the play. The Twins should provide an update on Buxton's condition later in the day, but he had missed four consecutive starts due to a right hip impingement before he returned to the lineup Saturday.
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Jimmy Crooks C | STL
Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Sitting in third straight game
Crooks is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.
After he was held out of the lineup for the first two games of the series against lefty starters, the left-handed hitter will remain on the bench even with right-hander Javier Assad on the bump for the Cubs. Crooks looks as though he'll have to settle for a part-time role while the Cardinals continue to carry two other catchers (Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages) on the active roster.
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Michael Conforto DH | CHC
Cubs' Michael Conforto: Sitting versus lefty
Conforto is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Conforto started the previous three games and will take a seat Sunday after going 5-for-11 with two walks, two homers, four RBI and four runs during that span. The veteran outfielder should continue to see regular playing time against right-handed pitching through the All-Star break with Matt Shaw (hand) on the injured list, though Conforto is likely to continue sitting versus southpaws. Kevin Alcantara is starting as the designated hitter against St. Louis lefty Matthew Liberatore while Seiya Suzuki handles right field.
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Jose Fermin LF | STL
Cardinals' Jose Fermin: Nabbing third straight start
Fermin will start at third base and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Cubs.
Fermin will claim his third consecutive start -- and his second in a row at third base -- after going 3-for-9 with two doubles, one RBI and one run over the first two contests of the series. With rookie Blaze Jordan (.642 OPS) offering middling production at the hot corner since being promoted from Triple-A Memphis on June 12, Fermin has a path to unseating him atop the depth chart. The 27-year-old hasn't provided much power (.398 SLG) or speed (three steals) while logging 144 plate appearances this season, but Fermin's been able to maintain a solid .271 batting average with a strong 13.9 percent strikeout rate.
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Blaze Jordan 3B | STL
Cardinals' Blaze Jordan: Sitting for second straight game
Jordan is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.
Jose Fermin will make a second consecutive start at third base over Jordan, whose grasp on an everyday role appears to be loosening. Before busting out for three hits and scoring three runs in a 17-1 romp Friday, Jordan had gone just 2-for-21 over his prior eight starts. He's slashing .246/.265/.377 overall since receiving a promotion from Triple-A Memphis on June 12.
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Josh Jung 3B | TEX
Rangers' Josh Jung: Sitting Sunday due to sore knee
Jung is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers due to a sore knee, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Ezequiel Duran will draw the start at third base in place of Jung, who fouled a ball off his knee during Saturday's 3-0 loss but was able to stay in the game and play all nine innings. According to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said that Jung will undergo X-rays prior to Sunday's game to rule out any significant issues, and the 28-year-old could be available off the bench if things check out. Texas is off Monday before kicking off a three-game home series with the Angels on Tuesday.
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Jeremy Pena SS | HOU
Astros' Jeremy Pena: Could return next weekend
Pena (calf) is expected to play in a couple of rehab games at Triple-A Sugar Land this week could return from the 10-day injured list during the Astros' final series before the All-Star break next weekend against the Rangers, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The veteran shortstop landed on the shelf last Tuesday due to a calf strain, but his absence looks like it will end up being a brief one. Pena was swinging a hot bat prior to getting hurt, having gone 8-for-21 with two walks, three RBI and five runs in his last five games.
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Shea Langeliers C | ATH
Athletics' Shea Langeliers: Remaining on bench Sunday
Langeliers (thumb) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.
Langeliers will miss a second straight start while he tends to a left thumb contusion, but the Athletics are optimistic that a team off day Monday will provide sufficient time for the star catcher to heal up, per MLB.com. Brian Serven will draw the start behind the plate in the series finale with the Marlins.
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Davis Wendzel 1B | PIT
Pirates' Davis Wendzel: Booted from 40-man roster
The Pirates designated Wendzel for assignment Sunday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
He'll give up his spot on the 40-man roster to right-hander Noah Murdock, who exercised an upward-mobility clause in his minor-league contract. Wendzel, 29, appeared in two games for the Pirates back in June but has otherwise spent the entire campaign at Triple-A Indianapolis, with whom he's produced a .230/.349/.461 slash line and 10 home runs across 261 plate appearances.