MLB Player News

Arroyo (hamstring) went 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter with a double and a run scored in Thursday's 11-5 win over the Twins.

Arroyo missed the previous two games with a hamstring issue but was healthy enough to pinch hit for Rafael Devers in the eighth inning. He legged out a double and scored on a Masataka Yoshida single, suggesting Arroyo's over the injury. He also played third base for the final inning.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Thursday that Polanco (knee) is "pretty close to coming back," Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Park suspects that Polanco will be activated in the early portion of the Twins' upcoming homestand, which begins Friday against the Nationals and runs through April 30. Polanco has already played in eight minor-league rehab games between Single-A Fort Myers and Triple-A St. Paul, though he's slashed just .231/.323/.269 across 31 plate appearances. The 29-year-old second baseman is recovering from a left knee injury, though he said Wednesday that he's "100 percent" healthy.

Diaz, recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day, started at third base and went 1-for-2 with an RBI double in a loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.

Diaz got his first big-league stint of 2023 off to a positive start, doubling home Tyler Wade in the fifth inning for the Athletics' first run of the game. The 22-year-old also held his own against big-league arms during his initial exposure to last season (.265 average in 15 games), and with Oakland all in on evaluating young players, Diaz could carve out a steady swath of playing time if he's able to make consistent contributions at the plate.

Arroyo (hamstring) remains out of the Red Sox's lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Arroyo hasn't played since Monday due to a hamstring issue but is expected to be available off the bench Thursday, so he should be ready to return to the lineup over the weekend. Enrique Hernandez is at second base versus the Twins while Yu Chang receives a start at shortstop.

Valdez was optioned to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Valdez made an impact in his major-league debut Wednesday against the Twins, singling twice in four plate appearances. His stay with the big club lasted only one day, though, with Yu Chang (personal) returning from paternity leave Thursday. Valdez's bat would be intriguing for fantasy purposes if he receives the chance at regular playing time with Boston at some point.

Valdez started at second base and went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's 10-4 loss to the Twins.

Valdez was called up amid a flurry of transactions Wednesday. Yu Chang (paternity) and Christian Arroyo (hamstring) were unavailable, enabling Valdez to make his MLB debut. The 24-year-old infielder's stay with Boston is expected to be a short one.

Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 10-4 loss to the Twins.

Hernandez popped his third home run of the season in the sixth inning and extended his hitting streak to six games. He slumped to start the season, going 3-for-36 over the first 11 games, but has turned it around since. He's hit safely in seven of the last eight, going 10-for-29 (.345) with four extra-base hits, five RBI and eight runs scored. Hernandez's hot bat moved him up in the order to the five-hole in five of the past six contests.

Julien went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 10-4 victory over the Red Sox.

Julien now has two home runs since making his big-league debut on April 12. The 23-year-old also recorded his first three-hit game in Wednesday's blowout victory. The rookie infielder has received regular playing time since his promotion, but the impending return of Jorge Polanco (knee) -- who is with Triple-A St. Paul on a rehab assignment -- looms large over Julien's season-long outlook.

Frazier went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Nationals.

The 31-year-old came in for injured teammate Jorge Mateo and promptly pulled a hanging breaking ball to right field for his second homer of the season. Frazier has operated as Baltimore's primary second baseman this year with 13 starts and has a .245/.344/.415 slash line in 61 plate appearances.

Gimenez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Tigers.

Gimenez has logged three steals over his last six games despite going 4-for-20 (.200) with two walks and a hit-by-pitch in that span. The second baseman hasn't show hesitation on the basepths with six thefts through 19 contests, and he's yet to be caught stealing this season. He's also slashing a solid .278/.350/.389 with a home run, five RBI, 18 runs scored and five doubles over 81 plate appearances. The one knock on Gimenez from a fantasy perspective is that he has often been batting in the bottom half of the order, though he hit second Wednesday with Amed Rosario (back) out.