MLB Player News

Sanchez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

Southpaw Jesus Luzardo is on the bump for the Phillies, so Blue Jays manager John Schneider will send Sanchez and Nathan Lukes to the bench to clear room in the outfield for a pair of right-handed bats in Myles Straw and Davis Schneider. Sanchez has gone just 4-for-27 (.148) with a 0:5 BB:K against lefties this season.

Bellinger (hamstring) took live batting practice Wednesday for the first time since landing on the injured list July 26, MLB.com reports.

Bellinger has also been able to do some running and throwing as part of his ramp-up process but his timeline to return from the IL remains unchanged. Shortly after Bellinger was placed on the shelf due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, manager Aaron Boone said that the reigning All-Star Game MVP would miss approximately 4-to-6 weeks. The short end of that timeframe would give Bellinger a chance to return to action for the Yankees at some point in late August.

Ramos will start in left field and bat third in Sunday's game against Atlanta.

After being acquired from the Giants on Monday, Ramos looked like he could be at risk of taking on a short-side platoon role with his new team, but the Yankees' decision to demote Jasson Dominguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier in the week has cleared the way for Ramos to take hold of a regular spot in the lineup. Since being activated Tuesday, Ramos has gone 2-for-13 with two doubles, two walks and two hit-by-pitches while starting in left field in all five of the Yankees' games.

Cortes is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

The left-handed-hitting Cortes finds himself on the bench for a fifth consecutive game, with the Athletics having faced left-handed starters in the last four of those contests. Southpaw Erik Miller is expected to work only an inning or two in a bullpen game for the Red Sox on Sunday, so Cortes could be summoned from the bench if a righty reliever takes over for Boston.

Abreu (calf/shin) will start at designated hitter and bat third in Sunday's game against the Athletics, Chris Henrique of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

Abreu was held out of the lineup Saturday for the first time since June 21, getting scratched shortly before the first pitch due to lower-leg swelling and soreness. He's made enough improvement to return to action for the series finale, but the two-time Gold Glove Award winner will be used strictly as a hitter Sunday. Eli White will draw the start in Abreu's usual spot in right field.

Peters went 1-for-2 with a double, two RBI, a walk and a run scored Saturday against the Guardians.

Peters played a key role in a five-run rally in the sixth inning, delivering a double with the bases loaded and two outs. After a strong first half, Peters has struggled mightily coming out of the All-Star break by hitting just .115 across 61 at-bats. Even with those struggles and the addition of Brenton Doyle, Peters remains the team's primary center fielder against right-handed pitching.

Clark went 2-for-5 with a triple, a run scored and two RBI in Saturday's 8-0 win over the Giants.

Clark has at least one hit in seven of his first eight MLB games, and his triple Saturday was his first. The 21-year-old is making a strong first impression, as he's slashing .333/.421/.545 through 38 plate appearances. Clark has settled in as Detroit's regular center fielder, and his impressive combination of power and speed makes him an appealing fantasy option with plenty of upside.

Mullins went 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Mariners.

Mullins was also caught stealing once in the contest. The outfielder sat against a right-handed pitcher Friday, though he's done a decent job lately by going 12-for-49 (.245) with three steals and two home runs over his last 15 games. Mullins is still the preferred option for the Rays in center field, but he's prone to giving up some playing time to Jonny DeLuca. Mullins is batting just .206 with a .641 OPS, 18 steals on 26 attempts, 13 homers, 35 RBI, 43 runs scored, eight doubles and two triples over 100 contests this season.

Simpson went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Mariners.

Simpson has gone 11-for-27 (.407) over seven games in August, with all of his hits being singles. The outfielder also has four steals this month, giving him 31 on the year. He's batting .298 with a .682 OPS, no home runs, 23 RBI and 47 runs scored over 109 contests this season, posting rate stats virtually identical to his work in the same number of games a year ago. Most of his counting stats are slightly down from last year.

Mesa went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Mariners.

Mesa has gone 5-for-11 with four extra-base hits over his last three games. The outfielder got the Rays on the board Saturday with his blast in the fourth inning. Mesa is now batting .220 with a .754 OPS, nine homers, 19 RBI, 19 runs scored, five stolen bases, three doubles and two triples over 50 contests this season. He continues to work primarily in a strong-side platoon role.