MLB Player News

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in a loss to Oakland in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday.

The second baseman is capping off another monster fantasy campaign and is now up to 23 homers, 76 RBI, 31 stolen bases, 98 runs and a .350/.410/.564 slash line. While those are elite numbers at all positions, they're even more impactful from the keystone. Altuve also has a few more weeks to pad his final stat line.

Semien is not in the Athletics' lineup Saturday for Game 2 of their doubleheader, Joe Stiglich of NBC Sports California reports.

He led off in Game 1 and went 1-for-3 with three walks and one run scored. Semien will take a breather but likely will return to action Sunday. Franklin Barreto will take his place at shortstop.

Semien went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and a second run scored in Friday's 9-8 win over the Astros.

His seventh-inning blast, Semien's sixth home run of the year, tied the game at 7-7 to set up some ninth-inning heroics by Jed Lowrie. It was Semien's first home run since Aug. 16, but he's still been productive despite the power outage, slashing .295/.348/.443 with 11 runs and 11 RBI over his last 14 games.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, three RBI and a run in Friday's 11-5 win over the Yankees.

Andrus' breakout season as a power hitter refuses to end, as the shortstop has now compiled 11 extra-base knocks -- including four home runs -- just in his last 10 games. He should continue to pile up the RBI in September now that on-base machines Delino DeShields and Shin-Soo Choo are locked into the top two spots in the batting order.

Altuve is back in Friday's lineup as the No. 2 hitter and second baseman against the Athletics, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

With Thursday's day off, the Astros saw Wednesday as the perfect time to give Altuve a night to rest and refresh for the home stretch. He has sat just three times since the All-Star break, and it would be surprising if Altuve sits out any more games until the Astros manage to clinch the AL West division crown.

Polanco went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBI in Thursday's 4-2 win over the White Sox.

Polanco's big hit was actually a bases-loaded single off closer Kelvin Herrera, which drove in two runs to break a 2-2 tie with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. His .262/.314/.418 line is nothing special compared to most other hitters in Minnesota's lineup, yet Polanco continues to bat in the heart of the order. Putting him there paid off for manager Paul Molitor in this one, so don't expect the shortstop to be moved down anytime soon.

Andrus went a combined 5-for-9 with a home run, a double, a walk, a stolen base, three RBI and two runs as the Rangers and Braves split a doubleheader Wednesday.

Andrus did most of his damage in the Rangers' Game 1 victory, producing four hits, including his 20th home run of the season. With the long ball, Andrus locked up the first 20-homer, 20-steal season of his career, joining All-Stars Mike Trout and Jose Altuve in that exclusive club in 2017. The shortstop has collected four of his home runs in the last three games.

Merrifield went 3-for-6 with a trio of doubles, three RBI and a pair of runs in Wednesday's 13-2 drubbing of the Tigers.

Merrifield came in on a little five-game skid without an extra-base hit, but he made up for that in impressive fashion. The sophomore second baseman continues to post a well-rounded line for his fantasy owners, and he's certainly part of the reason why the Royals are not yet out of the AL wild-card race.

Altuve is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

It's a rare day off for Altuve, who will take a seat for just the third time since the All-Star break. The 27-year-old second baseman is in the midst of a monster year, slashing .351/.412/.557 with 21 homers and 31 stolen bases in 133 games, so look for him to return to the lineup following the Astros' off-day Thursday. Marwin Gonzalez is starting at the keystone in his stead.

Altuve went 0-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored and two stolen bases in Sunday's 8-6 win over the Mets.

The stolen bases were Altuve's 30th and 31st, making 2017 the sixth straight season that he's swiped at least 30 bags. Each stolen base led directly to a run scored, giving him 95 of those this year. With 26 games remaining, Altuve needs 14 runs to set a new career benchmark and surpass the 108 times he crossed home plate last season.