MLB Player News

Altuve, who was removed from Tuesday's game after colliding with Teoscar Hernandez, did not sustain a concussion, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

From manager A.J. Hinch's comments following Tuesday's contest, it sounds like Altuve was a bit shaken up after colliding with Hernandez, but ultimately did not sustain any significant damage and should be fine moving forward. He'll be listed as day-to-day until we learn more in regards to his availability for Wednesday's game against the Indians.

Altuve exited Tuesday's game against the Indians early after colliding with Teoscar Hernandez in the field, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Altuve and Hernandez collided with each other while attempting to make a play on a fly ball. Hernandez seemed to take the brunt of the impact, as he was removed from the game on a cart. Though Altuve's injury is currently unclear, it is encouraging that he was able to walk off the field under his own power. Further updates should become available following the conclusion of Tuesday's contest.

Motter went 2-for-5 with a double and a grand slam in Sunday's 11-1 win over the Athletics.

Motter gave the Mariners a 6-0 lead in the third with the first grand slam of his career, a 389-foot shot to left center. It was Motter's fifth home run on the season, all of which have come in the last 11 games. The 27-year-old utility man continues to draw starts at shortstop in place of Jean Segura (hamstring), but with Leonys Martin having been designated for assignment Sunday, Motter could presumably split time in left field with Guillermo Heredia once Segura returns.

Altuve went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs during Sunday's win over Tampa Bay.

The Houston spark plug hit his first home run of the season Saturday, so it's encouraging to see him follow it up with another shot Sunday. His five-category production is especially tough to find at the keystone position, and Altuve is well on his way to another sterling fantasy campaign with 11 runs, two homers, seven RBI, seven stolen bases and a .324/.393/.459 slash line.

Espinosa is out of the lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Espinosa has gone 0-for-11 with five strikeouts over the last three games, so manager Mike Scioscia will give the veteran a rest for just the second time all season. Cliff Pennington will fill in at second base and bat ninth in the order.

Andrus will start at shortstop and bat in the cleanup spot Sunday against the Royals.

After recording eight extra-base hits in his first nine games of the season, Andrus has cooled off in the power department, but that won't prevent manager Jeff Banister from giving him a look in the heart of the lineup. Expect Andrus to move back to either the No. 2 or 6 spot in the order during the series opener with the Twins on Monday, when Mike Napoli is expected to reclaim cleanup duties following a one-game rest.

Merrifield will start at second base and occupy the leadoff spot for Sunday's game against the Rangers, Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star reports.

With Alex Gordon struggling to provide much of an impact at the top of the order, manager Ned Yost will give Merrifield a look in the leadoff spot, though it's unclear if the experiment will last more than one game. Even if Merrifield is moved down in the order in subsequent contests, he at least seems to have a steady hold on the everyday gig at second base with Raul Mondesi having been banished to Triple-A Omaha. Through five games since he was promoted to the big leagues, Merrifield has gone 5-for-15 with a homer, a stolen base and two RBI.

Polanco is out of the lineup Sunday against the Tigers, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Polanco has started five of the last six games but has recorded only three hits in 16 at-bats, so manager Paul Molitor will give the young shortstop a day off and see if Eduardo Escobar can provide more of an offensive spark. Escobar will bat seventh in the lineup Sunday, while Max Kepler will move up to the No. 2 spot in the order in Polanco's absence.

Altuve went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two runs and a stolen base during Saturday's loss to Tampa Bay.

Already up to nine runs and seven stolen bases with a .304 batting average and .380 on-base percentage, Altuve is kick-starting 2017 as expected. His power outburst last year will likely prove to be tough to duplicate, but his ability to reach base, post a high-end batting average, touch home plate and steal bases makes Altuve an elite fantasy asset.

Andrus is not in the lineup for Friday's contest with the Royals.

Andrus is batting below the Mendoza Line in his past seven games, so he'll head to the bench for a night off. Jurickson Profar will slide over to shortstop to fill the void while Delino DeShields Jr. takes over in left field for the evening.