MLB Player News
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Hayden Birdsong RP | SF
Giants' Hayden Birdsong: Joining rotation
Birdsong will replace Jordan Hicks in the Giants' rotation, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Birdsong lost the race for a rotation spot during spring training, but his 2.31 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 23.1 innings out of the bullpen combined with Hicks' struggles as a starter will cause the two pitchers to swap roles. Birdsong's first start of the season will come Tuesday against the Royals, who own the fourth-lowest scoring offense (157 runs) and sixth-worst OPS (.662) in the majors.
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Jacob Young CF | WAS
Nationals' Jacob Young: Exits with injury
Young was removed from Saturday's game against the Orioles with an apparent shoulder injury, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
Young collided hard with the center field wall while chasing down a flyball in the seventh inning. The Nationals' training staff seemed to be focusing on the outfielder's left shoulder, though it's still unclear if he suffered any structural damage. He'll be evaluated further, and Alex Call -- who entered as Young's replacement -- could pick up time in the outfield if Young has to miss any amount of time.
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Jordan Hicks SP | SF
Giants' Jordan Hicks: Moving to bullpen
Hicks will pitch out of the bullpen going forward, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
San Francisco's experiment to use Hicks as a starter hasn't quite gone the way the team had hoped, as the 28-year-old owns a 4.81 ERA in 29 starts since joining the Giants last season. For comparison, he spent the first five seasons of his MLB career primarily as a reliever and logged a 3.85 ERA. Hayden Birdsong will move from the bullpen to fill the rotation spot vacated by Hicks and is due to start Tuesday against Kansas City.
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J.T. Ginn SP | ATH
Athletics' J.T. Ginn: Returning Monday
Ginn (elbow) will be activated off the injured list to start Monday's game against the Angels, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Ginn landed on the injured list in late April with right elbow inflammation. He pitched in a rehab game at Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday and tossed 3.1 shutout innings while striking out five batters and walking two. Because his minor-league outing was so brief, he may work under a workload restriction during his first start back with the A's, though the team hasn't confirmed any such plans.
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Carson McCusker LF | MIN
Twins' Carson McCusker: Set to be called up from Triple-A
McCusker is expected to be called up from Triple-A St. Paul before Sunday's game, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports.
McCusker will take the place of Byron Buxton, who was placed on the 7-day concussion IL. McCusker isn't seen as a top prospect as a 27-year old playing in Triple-A and without much pedigree as an undrafted free agent. Still, he's hitting .350 with 10 home runs and a 1.062 OPS in 38 games, so he may get a chance to prove he's for real with the Twins having several openings in the lineup due to injury.
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Gavin Lux LF | CIN
Reds' Gavin Lux: Scratched with back spasms
Lux was scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's game versus Cleveland due to lower-back spasms, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.
It's currently unknown if Lux's back will cause him to miss additional time beyond Saturday, but the Reds may provide more details in the near future. In the meantime, Will Benson will shift to left field to cover for Lux, opening a spot in right for Rece Hinds.
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Byron Buxton CF | MIN
Twins' Byron Buxton: Placed on concussion IL
The Twins placed Buxton on the 7-day concussion injured list Saturday.
It had previously been reported that Buxton cleared concussion protocol after bumping heads with Carlos Correa (concussion) on Thursday, but that has turned out not to be the case. Buxton's move is retroactive to Friday, so he'll be required to miss only six more days before being eligible for activation, and the Twins will make a corresponding move to fill his roster spot Sunday.
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Oneil Cruz CF | PIT
Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Back in starting nine
Cruz (back) will start in center field and bat leadoff against the Phillies on Saturday.
Cruz missed five consecutive starts due to back soreness but appeared as a pinch hitter in Friday's contest, and he's now officially been given the green light to resume duties as Pittsburgh's starting center fielder. Since the beginning of May, the 26-year-old is slashing .188/.366/.219 with two RBI and five runs scored across 41 plate appearances.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: Sitting Saturday
Smith isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels, Andres Soto of MLB.com reports.
After going 2-for-4 and scoring a run in Friday's series opener, Smith will catch a breather Saturday while Dalton Rushing starts behind the plate and bats eighth.