MLB Player News

Mendick was scratched from the White Sox's lineup for Friday's game against St. Louis due to lower-back tightness, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The severity of Mendick's injury remains unknown, but it is apparently enough to prevent him from starting Friday's contest. Braden Shewmake will serve as Chicago's replacement third baseman while batting ninth.

Lewis (quad) is on target to return around the original eight-week mark in late-May, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Per Hayes, Lewis is progressing well and has started to increase baseball activities. At his one-month checkup, he was healing as expected and he's at five weeks, as of Friday's report.

Morel went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Brewers.

Morel snapped a scoreless tie with two outs in the sixth inning, launching a solo shot to centerfield off Joe Ross to put the Cubs ahead 1-0. Morel now has homers in back-to-back games and three in his last five contests following a span of 16 games without a long ball. The 24-year-old third baseman is now slashing .210/.286/.403 through 133 plate appearances this year with six homers, 18 RBI, 19 runs scored and three stolen bases.

The Athletics reinstated Davis (thigh) from the 10-day injured list Friday.

The 31-year-old went 3-for-15 during a four-game rehab sitnt with Triple-A Las Vegas and is back in the lineup Friday for Oakland, as he's starting at first base and batting fifth. Davis posted a .196/.255/.373 slash line in 14 games prior to suffering the adductor strain.

The Athletics selected Harris' contract from Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday.

Harris has slashed .289/.418/.456 with three homers and 20 RBI across 110 plate appearances in Triple-A. The 25-year-old has played most often as a third baseman, though he has seen a handful of reps at second base and shortstop. J.D. Davis (thigh) was reinstated from the injured list Friday and Tyler Nevin is playing well at the hot corner, so Harris doesn't figure to immediately enter into a starting role. Freddy Tarnok (hip) was placed on the 60-day IL to clear space on the 40-man roster.

Mendick was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Cardinals for unspecified reasons.

Mendick was slated to bat seventh and play third base but was moved out of the lineup for reasons yet to be disclosed. Instead, Braden Shewmake will play third and bat ninth.

Paredes (arm) is the designated hitter and batting second for Friday's game against the Mets.

Paredes got the day off Wednesday with some soreness in his arm and body but returns to the Rays lineup in a non-defensive capacity. Considering Friday kicks off a stretch of 19 games in the next 20 days, Paredes' soreness should be monitored but isn't something to be concerned about at the moment.

Ortiz is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs.

It's the second straight game on the bench for Ortiz after making five consecutive starts, and he went 5-for-15 with five walks, three doubles, a homer and five RBI during that stretch. Oliver Dunn will receive another start at the hot corner Friday in Chicago.

Jones has appeared in just nine games for the Yankees this season, going 1-for-6 with one run and four strikeouts.

Jones has remained on the big-league roster throughout the campaign, but he's made just one start, functioning almost exclusively as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. The 26-year-old's speed and defensive versatility make him useful in those roles, though his ability to remain with the big club may be more strongly tied to the fact that he's out of minor-league options. It's difficult to envision Jones becoming a viable fantasy asset given his very limited work and his career .178/.229/.451 slash line as a major-leaguer.

Berti (groin/back) is back in the lineup with Double-A Somerset on Thursday as he resumes his rehab assignment, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Berti couldn't play Wednesday due to a back issue but is back in there following a one-day absence. He's coming back from a groin strain and should rejoin the Yankees within the next few days.