Abreu is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs.

Abreu is on the bench for the third time in four games, with Jon Singleton getting the nod at first base in his place. It's clear at this point that Abreu's standing atop the depth chart is on thin ice, as the 37-year-old has followed up a disappointing 2023 campaign with an even more disastrous start to the 2024 season, as he's slashing .065/.132/.081 with a career-worst 25 percent strikeout rate across 68 plate appearances. First base/outfield prospect Joey Loperfido has gotten off to a hot start to the season at Triple-A Sugar Land and could soon be summoned to the big leagues if the Astros aren't confident in Abreu's ability to stage a turnaround and/or if Singleton proves to be a poor replacement for Abreu.

Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Yankees.

The 34-year-old first baseman appears to be heating up. Rizzo has gone yard in back-to-back games after managing only one homer in his first 23 contests this season. His .242/.314/.358 slash line and 11 RBI remain below expectations, but after a tough, concussion-marred 2023 campaign, Rizzo's beginning to look more like the player who slugged 32 homers in 2022.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with an RBI on Wednesday against the Tigers.

Diaz got off to a slow start to the season, but he now has at least one hit in seven of his last eight starts. In that span, he also has four multi-hit performances and a .314 batting average. Counting stats haven't followed Diaz's turnaround at the plate, but as the locked-in leadoff hitter, that should also change as the season progresses.

Singleton went 2-for-4 with a run scored Wednesday against the Cubs.

He was in the lineup for the ninth time this season while filling in for Jose Abreu at first base. Singleton managed his second multi-hit performance of the campaign and is hitting .256 across 43 plate appearances. Even with Abreu's struggles this season, Singleton looks unlikely to pick up significant playing time.

Duran is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

After seeing his streak of six consecutive starts come to an end Saturday, Duran has now found himself on the bench for four straight contests. Duran's path to meaningful playing time appears to have come to a close with Josh Smith solidifying himself as Josh Jung's (wrist) primary replacement at third base and with first baseman Nathaniel Lowe having made his return from the injured list over the weekend.

Abreu is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

Abreu is on the bench for the second time in three days after an 0-for-3 showing in Tuesday's 7-2 loss to the Cubs dropped his season-long slash line to .065/.132/.081 over 68 plate appearances. Though Jon Singleton will pick up another start at Abreu's expense, prospect Joey Loperfido looks to be the longer-term replacement at first base if the Astros elect to move on from the struggling Abreu at any point. An outfielder for most of his minor-league career, Loperfido has made five starts at first base for Triple-A Sugar Land so far this season and has posted a 1.028 OPS over 20 games to put himself on the radar for a promotion.

Mountcastle (knee) will start at first base and bat third in Wednesday's game versus the Angels.

Mountcastle missed two games with some knee soreness but is feeling well enough to give it a go Wednesday against left-hander Tyler Anderson. The 27-year-old is sporting a .333/.395/.507 batting line with two home runs over 20 contests this season.

Rizzo went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the A's.

Paul Blackburn left a 92.4 mph fastball up in the zone in the first inning, and Rizzo clubbed it over the fence in right-center field. The veteran first baseman snapped a 14-game homer drought with the blast, and he's still looking for his first sustained hot streak of 2024. Over 24 contests, Rizzo is slashing .231/.307/.319 with two doubles, two homers and 10 RBI.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a double in Tuesday's 4-0 loss to Seattle.

The Rangers' bats were quelled by Mariners pitching, but Lowe managed a second consecutive multi-hit game. After coming off the injured list Saturday, Lowe has appeared in all three games, batted fifth, and gone 4-for-11. In a normal world -- where the potent Texas lineup is producing -- Lowe's middle-of-the-order bat should provide him opportunities with runners on base.

Mountcastle (knee) isn't in the Orioles' lineup for Tuesday's game against the Angels.

Knee soreness kept Mountcastle from playing in Monday's contest, though manager Brandon Hyde said the 27-year-old was available off the bench for that game. He will remain in the dugout once again Tuesday, allowing Ryan O'Hearn to start at first base while Anthony Santander serves as Baltimore's DH and Heston Kjerstad covers right field.