MLB Player News

Castro went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's win over the Rays.

The home run, Castro's first of the season, came at a great time, as it put the Tigers ahead 3-2 in the top of the ninth inning. The utility player is a solid contact hitter, as evidenced by his .306 batting average, but he's never provided much pop. Castro's career high for home runs in a season is five, which he recorded back in 2019. He had just three long balls in 106 games last year.

Biggio was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Monday and optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.

Biggio hit just .043/.214/.043 in 13 games prior to his absence. With Santiago Espinal emerging as an everyday second baseman, Biggio no longer has a starting spot available, though it's still somewhat surprising that his defensive versatility didn't earn him a bench role. It may take an injury ahead of him for Biggio to return to the big leagues.

Lowe (back) hit the injured list as expected Monday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Lowe was left out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, with reports emerging that a trip to the injured list was considered likely. Whether or not he'll have a shot to return in the minimum 10 days is not yet clear. Isaac Paredes was recalled to take his place on the roster and could spend some time at second base, while Vidal Brujan is also a candidate for an increased role.

Frazier will sit Monday against the Blue Jays.

Frazier off day comes against lefty Yusei Kikuchi, but he doesn't appear to be at risk of slipping into a platoon role. He'd started against six of the nine southpaws Seattle faced prior to Monday's contest. Abraham Toro will take over at second base in his absence.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Lowe is dealing with a lower-back issue and will likely be placed on the 10-day injured list, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The injury explains why Lowe isn't in the lineup Monday against the Tigers and likely explains why he was scratched for undisclosed reasons ahead of Saturday's loss to the Blue Jays. The severity of the issue isn't yet clear, but the Rays should have more information on that front after Lowe visits a doctor Monday, according to Topkin. The Rays plan to call up Isaac Paredes from Triple-A Durham to replace Lowe on the 26-man active roster, but because Paredes isn't scheduled to arrive in Tampa Bay until Tuesday, the team is expected to wait a day before officially deactivating Lowe.

Ibanez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Angels.

Ibanez will take a seat after starting in each of the previous five games while going 1-for-15 at the plate. Brad Miller, who typically plays left field, will fill in at third base in Ibanez's stead.

Arraez is out of the lineup for Monday's game in Oakland.

With southpaw Zach Logue on the hill for Oakland, the lefty-hitting Arraez will give way at first base to the righty-hitting Jose Miranda. Arraez returned from a stint on the COVID-19-related injured list to start in each of the Twins' last four games, going 5-for-13 with four walks, a run and a stolen base.

Brujan will start at second base and bat fifth in Monday's game against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Brujan will stick in the lineup for the fifth time in six games, with three of those starts coming at the keystone. Brandon Lowe should be the Rays' primary option at the keystone moving forward, but he may be dealing with a lingering injury at the moment, given that he'll be out of the lineup Monday for the second time in three days. If Lowe quickly moves past the injury, Brujan would still have a potential path to playing time in right field after Manuel Margot (hamstring) was placed on the injured list Sunday.

Lowe is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After being a late scratch ahead of Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays due to an unspecified injury or illness, Lowe checked back into the lineup for Sunday's series finale and went 1-for-4 with a run scored. However, Lowe was used as a designated hitter in that contest rather than his usual spot at second base, implying that he wasn't fully healthy. Lowe is back on the bench Monday for the second time in three days, but the Rays haven't suggested he experienced any sort of setback following Sunday's 3-0 win. Even so, fantasy managers in shallower leagues in particular may be enticed to turn to other options this week, especially with the knowledge that Lowe will start in only five games at a maximum.

Lopez is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox.

Lopez sits for just the third time this season. He's been very disappointing at the plate thus far, hitting .190/.283/.220, and he's stolen just a single base after swiping 22 bags last year. Bobby Witt Jr. will slide over to shortstop in his absence, with Emmanuel Rivera starting at third base.