MLB Player News

Kemp will start in left field and bat ninth in the order Sunday against the Blue Jays, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Kemp had an unremarkable stint with the Astros earlier this summer, but has thrived since heading back to Triple-A Fresno and rejoining the big club Aug. 7. In seven appearances (four starts) during that time, Kemp has gone 6-for-21 with five runs and a stolen base. The Astros recently cleared out some of their outfield clutter by designating Carlos Gomez for assignment, and with Jake Marisnick day-to-day with a groin injury, opportunities could remain available for Kemp for the foreseeable future.

Semien was 4-for-4 on Friday night with two runs, bumping his average up to .244.

Semien has provided nice power this season with 23 bombs, but his batting average has been a concern most of the season. It was a good sign to see Semien put together four knocks to raise his average seven points in one night, but even better than all four hits were line drives. With all the A's injuries and roster moves, Semien will likely spend more time near the top of the lineup, which will benefit his run and RBI numbers to go with the power.

Polanco started both games of Thursday's doubleheader loss to Houston and went 4-for-8. He's hitting .333 during a 13-game hitting streak and has started the last seven games. "I'm going to keep putting him out there,'' manager Paul Molitor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Polanco has drawn praise for Molitor for his defense at shortstop despite only playing a game there at Triple-A this season. It sounds like Molitor wants to keep him in the everyday lineup even though the team has a crowded infield situation.

Altuve went 4-for-5 with a walk, three RBI and scored three runs in the first game of Thursday's double-header against the Twins.

Altuve delivered his second consecutive four-hit game, giving him eight four-hit games this season, seven of which have come on the road. The 26-year-old is hitting .438 on the road this season -- .503 since May 1 -- and is just seven hits shy of reaching 1,000 career hits. Altuve's reached base safely in 40 consecutive road games, becoming only the second player in franchise history to do that.

Giavotella will be out of the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Indians.

Giavotella will get a day off for the third straight game Thursday, and has been struggling recently at the plate. Cliff Pennington will get the start at second, while batting ninth.

Giavotella is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Over the last seven games, Giavotella has gone just 1-for-12 at the plate. Gregorio Petit will start in place of the struggling second baseman and bat ninth Wednesday evening.

Altuve went 4-for-4, scored twice, knocked in a run and stole his 26th base in a win Tuesday over the Twins.

After Altuve's first day off of the season on Monday, he looked as fresh as could be. Altuve now has 159 hits on the season, putting him in first in the majors by an even 20 over Washington's Daniel Murphy. He is now on pace for 228 hits, which would be a career high and give him his third consecutive 200-hit season.

Forsythe went 3-for-6 with a home run, two RBI and two runs in Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Forsythe's leadoff homer, his 13th of the season, was the first hit off Jays' starter Marco Estrada since July 2. It was also the second baseman's second homer in as many nights and third in his last four games. After hitting just .196 in 107 at-bats last month, Forsythe is absolutely raking since turning the calendar to August. The 29-year-old is 15-for-38 (.395) with 12 runs scored through nine games this month.

Marte (illness) was activated from the 15-day DL on Tuesday.

Mike Freeman was optioned to clear a spot on the active roster for Marte, who ended up missing three weeks due to mononucleosis. Marte has failed to meet expectations so far this season after his strong run with the big club down the stretch last year -- he's batting .273/.299/.358 and hadn't stolen a base in well over a month before he hit the shelf. That said, he should continue on as the primary option at short now that he's healthy and perhaps see occasional opportunities in the leadoff spot.

Giavotella is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cubs.

He has limped to a .255/.296/.314 line so far in the second half and his playing time is starting to dry up as a result. Tuesday's absence marks Giavotella's fourth in six games, and he was set to sit Sunday as well before Yunel Escobar (knee) was scratched. Cliff Pennington is starting once again at second base Tuesday.