MLB Player News

Lukes is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Brewers.

Lukes will hit the bench after starting in right field in each of the Blue Jays' last four games while going 0-for-12, dropping his season average to .065 over 31 at-bats. Though he has a pathway to regular playing time in the outfield against right-handed pitching while Addison Barger (ankle) and George Springer (toe) are on the shelf, Lukes' rough start to the campaign could be beginning to cost him opportunities.

Carpenter is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

Detroit didn't face a left-handed starting pitcher through its first 16 games of the season, but the Tigers have now taken on a pair of southpaws (Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic) in their three-game series with the Royals. Carpenter has found himself on the bench for both contests and looks like he could be in line for a strong-side platoon role while the Tigers have all their key bats available, save for Parker Meadows (arm). Wenceel Perez will join the starting nine in place of Carpenter, manning right field and batting eighth.

Springer (toe) resumed hitting off a tee Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

"Looked pretty normal, which is good," manager John Schneider said Thursday. "He's feeling better." Springer will likely not need a rehab assignment, and the toe he fractured will just be "annoying" for a couple weeks, according to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. The Blue Jays are aiming for Springer to return for their next homestand, which begins Friday, April 24 against the Guardians.

Collins (knee) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's tilt in Detroit.

He'll miss a second straight start after suffering a right knee contusion in the first game of the series Tuesday. Collins is considered day-to-day. Michael Massey will play left field and bat eighth for the Royals.

DeLuca went 1-for-1 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's win over the White Sox.

DeLuca entered the game as a pinch hitter for Jake Fraley in the seventh inning and took Tyler Gilbert deep with a three-run blast to bolster the Rays' lead to 8-0. This was DeLuca's second homer of the season, and it was also the third straight game in which he drove in at least one run. DeLuca has also hit safely in four of his last five games, notching a .824 OPS in 17 at-bats over that stretch.

Langford served as the designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Athletics.

Langford made a second straight start as the DH since returning from a quad injury that cost him three games. He's 2-for-7 with a walk in his two games back. For the season, Langford is batting just .183 (11-for-60) with one home run, three RBI, one steal and two walks over 15 contests.

Arozarena went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, a stolen base and three runs scored in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Mariners.

Arozarena logged multiple hits for the fourth time in the last six games, and he's also scored seven runs in that span. The outfielder has been one of the Mariners' most reliable bats early in the season, hitting .299 with an .823 OPS through 19 contests. He's hit just one home run, but he's added seven RBI, 16 runs scored, five steals and four doubles across 81 plate appearances.

Raley went 4-for-5 with a two-run home run, a double and a second run scored in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Padres.

This was Raley's first long ball since he went deep in each of the first three games of the season. He's still made excellent contact lately, going 11-for-17 (.647) over his last four contests. For the season, he's up to a .339/.391/.644 slash line with four homers, 12 RBI, eight runs scored, four doubles, one triple and no stolen bases over 17 games. Raley showed some power potential in 2023 and 2024 before regressing last year, but he's never been one to hit for a particularly high average, and his .500 BABIP won't last in the long run.

Clarke went 1-for-3 with one RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Rangers.

Clarke put the Athletics ahead 2-0 with an RBI single in the second inning. The outfielder has yet to record a multi-hit game this season, and he's struck out eight times over his last six games. He's batting .174 with a .420 OPS, no home runs, one double, six RBI, four runs scored and a steal over 17 contests. Despite the mediocre results at the plate, he's currently holding down a starting role in center field due to his strong defense.

Valera started in left field and went 1-for-2 with a double in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Cardinals.

Valera started a second consecutive game since being activated off the injured list Monday. Both starts have come against right-handers, and the outfielder was pinch hit for in the seventh inning of Wednesday's contest when he was about to face a left-hander. Valera is 2-for-6 with a pair of doubles and RBI in his two games.