MLB Player News

Soler (back) has yet to resume baseball activities, per MLB.com.

Soler has now been out of action for over three weeks, as he last played July 23 against the Mets. The veteran outfielder has had an issue with his back on multiple occasions this year, so the Angels may be opting to give him all the time he needs to recover given their current place in the standings (they sit five games out of a wild-card spot with three teams ahead of them in the race for the final bid). Since Soler has been out of action, Jo Adell has been getting most of the starts in right field while Bryce Teodosio has become a near-everyday presence in the lineup in center.

Clarke (hip) is expected to start a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Las Vegas, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Clarke was sidelined July 22 with a Grade 2 right adductor strain but has progressed enough to begin a rehab assignment as he works toward a return to the majors. His overall numbers this season -- a .646 OPS across 47 games -- have been underwhelming, yet the rookie entered the injury break swinging the bat well. In 14 games during July, he posted a .298/.340/.574 slash line with a .914 OPS, six doubles, two triples, one homer, two steals and two RBI. While the 25-year-old is still working to establish himself offensively at the major-league level, Clarke's return is highly anticipated for the difference his elite defense makes in center field.

Greene went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run home run in Thursday's 4-3, 11-inning win over the Twins.

Greene provided a jolt in the top of the fourth inning, taking Bailey Ober deep to cut into a 3-0 Minnesota lead. The outfielder is starting to trend upward after a slow start following the All-Star break. Greene has reached base in seven of his last 10 games, and he's recorded two home runs and five RBI during that span. On the season, the 24-year-old now has 28 long balls and 89 RBI, both of which lead the team and are among the top 10 in the majors.

Bellinger went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Wednesday in a loss to Minnesota.

Bellinger accounted for the Yankees' only run of the game with a solo shot off Joe Ryan in the third inning. The long ball was Bellinger's second in his past three games, though those are the only two hits he has across 11 at-bats in that span. Bellinger is putting together a solid campaign in his first season in the Bronx, slashing .270/.325/.491 with 22 home runs, 69 RBI, 66 runs and 10 stolen bases through 112 contests spanning 477 plate appearances.

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

After starting and batting leadoff in each of the Blue Jays' last three games, the left-handed-hitting Lukes will head to the bench for the series finale while the Cubs send lefty Matthew Boyd to the bump. Toronto will roll out an outfield of Davis Schneider, Myles Straw and Joey Loperfido from left to right in Thursday's contest.

Varsho is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs.

The left-handed-hitting Varsho had started in each of Toronto's last five games -- including two matchups with left-handed pitchers -- but he'll head to the bench Thursday while southpaw Matthew Boyd takes the hill for the Cubs in the matinee contest. Myles Straw will replace Varsho in center field and will bat seventh.

Johnson will start in center field and bat sixth in Thursday's game against the Mariners.

Johnson will cover center field for a second straight game after he started and went 0-for-2 in his Orioles debut in Wednesday's 4-3 win. With Colton Cowser (concussion) and Tyler O'Neill (wrist) on the injured list and the Orioles having received little production in the outfield from the likes of Dylan Carlson, Greg Allen and Ryan Noda of late, Johnson could get the chance to play regularly.

Meadows (quad) has been running, hitting and throwing regularly, and a rehab assignment could be on tap soon, MLB.com reports.

Meadows has been out since July 28 due to a right quadriceps strain. The outfielder seems to be progressing in his recovery, and the expectation is that he'll be back with the Tigers this month. While Meadows is only batting .200 on the year, he does provide strong defense in center, and Detroit could use the reinforcement with Matt Vierling (oblique) likely out until September and possibly set to miss the rest of the regular season.

Simpson went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored Wednesday against the Athletics.

Simpson has at least one hit in seven of his last eight games and extended his hitting streak to five games with Wednesday's performance. He hasn't produced many counting stats in that stretch, as he has four runs but only one RBI and one stolen base across the eight contests. Simpson is also just 1-for-5 on his most recent stolen-base attempts, so the team may slow down his opportunities on the basepaths.

Lowe went 1-for-5 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base Wednesday against the Athletics.

Lowe drove in a run with a ground-rule double in the first inning and then stole second base in the ninth frame. He has struggled to get on track at the plate for much of the season, though he has a double in three consecutive games. Lowe has also gotten more aggressive on the basepaths, as six of his 12 stolen bases for the campaign have come in his last 15 games.