LEADING OFF: Yankees banged up, Twins and Red Sox rolling

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

___

PINSTRIPE PROBLEMS

Healthy for much of this season, the AL-leading Yankees are suddenly dealing with injuries to several key players.

All-Star infielder DJ LeMahieu was a late scratch from New York’s lineup Tuesday night with left wrist discomfort, closer Aroldis Chapman was added to the injured list with left Achilles tendinitis and slugger Giancarlo Stanton was removed from the win over Baltimore with right calf tightness.

LeMahieu had an MRI that came back clean. He received a cortisone shot and could be back within a day or two. Stanton was scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday.

LeMahieu, a two-time batting champion, is hitting .250 with three homers and a .704 OPS this season. He’s 5 for 39 (.128) over his past 10 games.

New York also activated catcher Kyle Higashioka from the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday, but left fielder Joey Gallo and third baseman Josh Donaldson remained out with the virus. Gallo has tested negative and worked out at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. He could be activated Wednesday.

The Yankees are set to give left-hander JP Sears his first big league start against the Orioles. The 26-year-old has dominated Triple-A this season and pitched two scoreless innings in two relief appearances for the big club.

LUCKY SEVEN

Minnesota and Boston are rolling, and both teams will try for their seventh consecutive victory.

Dylan Bundy (3-2, 5.14 ERA) pitches for the Twins at home against Detroit, which is 3-15 in its last 18 games at Target Field. Bundy is set to make his seventh start this season in his careful return from COVID-19. He threw 54 pitches over three shutout innings on May 17, his first outing after a 13-day layoff.

The first-place Twins are 23-8 since April 21.

New second baseman Trevor Story is batting .355 with seven homers and 18 RBIs in his last 31 at-bats for the Red Sox, on their longest streak since winning nine straight in April 2021. They send Rich Hill (1-1, 3.90 ERA) to the mound against Lucas Giolito (2-1, 2.84) and the White Sox in Chicago.

GIANT PERFORMANCE

One day after a wild slugfest, the Mets and Giants play the rubber match of their three-game series in San Francisco.

Joc Pederson homered three times and drove in a career-high eight runs, including a tying single with two outs in the ninth inning, as the Giants rallied for a 13-12 victory Tuesday night despite blowing a late six-run lead.

Francisco Lindor homered and had six RBIs for the Mets, who plan to bring up left-hander Thomas Szapucki from Triple-A Syracuse to make his first major league start in the series finale.

New York has scored 25 runs in the first two games of the series.

AUGUST AUDITION

Two starting pitchers who could be attractive trade targets before the Aug. 2 deadline face each other when Kyle Hendricks (2-4, 4.89 ERA) and the Chicago Cubs visit Luis Castillo (0-2, 4.60) and the Cincinnati Reds. Hendricks is looking to rebound after tying a career high by allowing four home runs Friday against Arizona. Castillo makes his fourth start since beginning the season on the injured list with a right shoulder strain.

THAT HURTS

Milwaukee will be without Hunter Renfroe for a while after the outfielder was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring Tuesday.

Renfroe was injured Monday night during a 10-inning loss at San Diego. He was hitting .266 with nine home runs and 16 RBIs for the NL Central leaders.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said an MRI showed a low-grade hamstring strain and Renfroe could miss two weeks. Infielder-outfielder Mark Mathias was brought up from Triple-A Nashville.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.