MLB Player News

Espinal is will start at second base and bat ninth Wednesday against the Yankees.

With Whit Merrifield covering left field Wednesday while Kevin Kiermaier (illness) gets the night off, the keystone is opened up for Espinal. The 28-year-old infielder has put up a woeful .477 OPS across 71 plate appearances this season.

Dubon is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs.

Dubon has been hot with the bat as of late, but he'll put his eight-game hitting streak on hold while he rests in the series finale with the Cubs. David Hensley will step in for Dubon as the Astros' starting second baseman.

Valdez is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's tilt against the Mariners, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Valdez will grab a seat on the bench to open the finale against Seattle with left-hander Marco Gonzales on the mound. Pablo Reyes will handle duties at second base and hit seventh in Valdez's absence.

Hernandez (hamstring) is hitting sixth and playing shortstop against the Mariners on Wednesday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Hernandez returns after missing three games with a strained left hamstring. The veteran infielder will handle shortstop duties with Pablo Reyes moving to second base and Enmanuel Valdez beginning Wednesday's contest on the bench.

Diaz is not in the starting lineup Wednesday versus the Diamondbacks.

Diaz has gone 2-for-22 with no RBI or runs scored since he went 3-for-4 with three homers versus the Yankees on May 9. He'll get a breather Wednesday and will be replaced at second base by Tony Kemp, who will bat eighth in the series finale with Arizona.

Dubon went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Cubs.

Dubon led off the game with a ground-rule double and came around to score on a wild pitch. Six frames later, he hit another two-bagger and tallied his second run. Despite the return of Chas McCormick, Dubon has remained the leadoff hitter for the Astros. He's earned that role, as he's in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak, during which he's hit .407 with two RBI and six runs scored.

Polanco is out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.

Polanco will get Tuesday off with Clayton Kershaw on the bump for the Dodgers on Tuesday. Donovan Solano is starting at second base and hitting in the leadoff spot in Polanco's absence.

Massey is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Padres.

Massey has been excellent in May with a .343/.455/.571 slash line in 35 at-bats, but he'll get a night off against Seth Lugo and San Diego on Tuesday. Matt Duffy will start at second base and hit seventh.

Hernandez (hamstring) will return to Boston's lineup Wednesday against the Mariners, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Hernandez's absence will officially be limited to three games as a result of his strained left hamstring. Prior to his injury, the 31-year-old utility man was slashing .235/.278/.294 in his last five games.

Arroyo (hamstring) will not travel with the Red Sox for the start of their road trip this weekend but hopes to join the team a few days into it, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Arroyo has been going through workouts but needs to play in a rehab game or two before being activated. The Red Sox are in San Diego this weekend before then going to Anaheim and Arizona, and it sounds like the goal is to get Arroyo back for one of the latter two stops.