Max Scherzer (thumb) hopes to avoid rehab start

Steer fouled off a pitch and came away shaking his right hand, which prompted the visit from the training staff and Reds’ manager Terry Franconca and after a brief discussion Steer was lifted from the game mid at-bat. He’ll presumably head for imaging to see what’s going on there. Fantasy managers who are relying on Steer for next week should have a contingency plan in place in the event that he’s forced to miss some time.

It’s unclear exactly what occurred, but the left-hander was visited by the training staff during the second inning and the decision was ultimately made to remove him from the ballgame. Springs was charged with five runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk in just 1 1/3 innings of work. He’ll head for further evaluation. Expect the A’s to have an update on his status after the game.

He’s not dealing with any structural issues, but is still feeling a bit sore after being plunked on Saturday evening so he’ll get a day off to rest. Grant McCray will start in his place in right field and will bat ninth for the Giants against Jose Soriano and the Angels on Sunday afternoon in San Francisco.

Simpson led off the fifth inning with a single off of Parker Messick. He then took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on a bunt single by Cedric Mullins to give the Rays a 1-0 advantage. That would be the only offense for either side in the contest. With the two-hit attack, the speedy 25-year-old outfielder is now hitting .296/.329/.359 with zero homers, 20 RBI and 26 stolen bases on the season.

Mullins strolled to the dish in the fifth inning with the game knotted in a scoreless tie and Chandler Simpson at third base with only one out. He dropped down a safety squeeze down the first base line that plated the run and turned into a single, giving Drew Rasmussen and company all of the run support that they would require. The 31-year-old outfielder is slashing .203/.282/.352 with 12 homers, 33 RBI and 16 stolen bases (in 23 attempts) through his first 354 plate appearances with the Rays.

In what turned out to be an exceptional pitcher’s duel between Drew Rasmussen and Parker Messick, the Rays went to the ninth inning clinging to a 1-0 advantage. The Guardians made him work a bit, as he issued a two-out walk to Chase DeLauter that brought the winning run to the plate, but Baker rebounded to retire Bryan Rocchio on strikes to end it. The 31-year-old hurler is enjoying a career season as the Rays’ closer and has been one of the breakout stars of the 2026 fantasy season.

Rasmussen allowed just one hit in the ballgame — a leadoff double to Steven Kwan to open the game — while allowing one free pass. Aside from that leadoff double, the Guardians never threatened against him. The 30-year-old righty got 18 whiffs on 87 pitches on the day, registering an elite CSW of 36 percent. Now 9-5 on the season, he’ll look to replicate this brilliant effort as he brings a 3.07 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a 112/19 K/BB ratio (111 1/3 innings) into Saturday’s showdown against the White Sox.

Kwan led off the game with a double over Rays’ right fielder Ryan Vilade, but he never advanced past second base. That would end up being the Guardians’ only hit and best scoring chance in the entire ballgame. For the season, the 28-year-old outfielder is slashing .248/.351/.308 with just one homer, 18 RBI and seven stolen bases in 392 plate appearances.

The 25-year-old All-Star southpaw struck out six batters on the afternoon and did not allow a base on balls. The lone tally against him came in the fifth inning as Chandler Simpson singled, took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on a bunt single by Cedric Mullins. Unfortunately, that was enough to do him in. Messick generated nine swings and misses on 94 pitches on the day — seven of those on his heater — while posting a CSW of 28 percent. He’ll bring an impressive 2.59 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 122/36 K/BB ratio (125 1/3 innings) into Saturday’s tilt against the Diamondbacks

Cubs’ manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Sunday that Palencia will next throw an up-and-down bullpen session on Tuesday before progressing to facing live hitters. Barring any setbacks, he’s on track to start a minor league rehab assignment during the week of August 3.