MLB Player News

Guerrero (back) will start at first base and bat second in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Orioles.

Guerrero was not included in the initial lineup, but he did some hitting on the field pregame and convinced Blue Jays manager John Schneider that he was ready to play. Vlad Jr. had exited Sunday's contest versus the Rangers and didn't play Monday because of lower-back tightness.

Guerrero (back) remains out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader in Baltimore.

Guerrero has not played since departing Sunday's game against the Rangers with lower-back tightness. He did some hitting pregame Wednesday and could be available to play in the nightcap, per Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. Sean Keys will grab another start at first base for the Blue Jays while Guerrero rests.

Grissonm went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 9-7 loss to the Athletics.

This was Grissom's first multi-hit effort since Sept. 8 in Boston. The infielder has cooled off late in the season, batting just .209 (14-for-67) in September. Overall, he's hitting .242 with a .697 OPS, 12 home runs, 68 RBI, 45 runs scored, 22 doubles and a stolen base over 114 contests. Grissom is likely to close the year in a starting role.

Freeman went 2-for-4 with three RBI in Tuesday's 7-0 win over the Padres.

The veteran first baseman produced a second straight multi-hit performance with three singles, but he remains without an extra-base hit in his past 15 games. Freeman dealt with a knee issue earlier this month that caused him to miss a couple games, but he's started the past seven contests and seems mostly healthy despite the lack of pop in his bat.

Walker went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 7-0 win over the Mariners.

Walker went yard in the third inning. He had gone just 2-for-29 across his previous eight games, adding a 2:9 BB:K in that span. The first baseman is hitting just .221 this year with a .704 OPS, 26 homers, 83 RBI, 67 runs scored, 25 doubles and a triple over 151 games.

Murakami went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, two runs scored, a walk and a strikeout Tuesday during a 14-11 win over the Royals.

Murakami extended his on-base streak to 10 games after reaching base twice Tuesday. The 26-year-old smashed his 33rd blast in the seventh off Tony Gonsolin to provide some insurance for the White Sox. Over 531 plate appearances, Murakami has batted .203/.348/.469 with 33 homers, 72 RBI and 91 walks this season.

Pasquantino went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, an RBI double and three runs during Tuesday's 14-11 loss to the White Sox.

Pasquantino launched his fourth homer in his last six games Tuesday. The 28-year-old hit a grand slam off Luis Castillo in the ninth inning to cut the lead to just three runs. Pasquantino is slashing .249/.333/.418 with 15 homers, 59 RBI and 19 doubles in 460 plate appearances this season.

Aranda isn't in the lineup for the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Aranda will get a chance to rest during the latter half of Tuesday's festivities after going 1-for-3 with a strikeout in Game 1. Ryan Vilade will fill in as the Rays' first baseman and bat second.

Contreras (hand) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Guardians, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

It's the fourth straight absence due to a bruised right hand for Contreras, and there's no reason for the Red Sox to rush him back into action since their playoff seeding is all but set. Nick Sogard will receive another start at first base Tuesday for Boston.

Ward signed a contract with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball on Tuesday, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ward had been booted off the Dodgers' 40-man roster last week and will now try his luck overseas. The 28-year-old has slugged 108 home runs at Triple-A Oklahoma City over the last four seasons, but he was given only 60 plate appearances in the big leagues over that time.