MLB Player News

Arauz was optioned to Triple-A Worcester on Friday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Arauz had started each of the last nine games for the Red Sox, but he'll head back to the minors after Xander Bogaerts (illness) was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday. The 23-year-old hit .167 with three home runs, two doubles, seven runs and six RBI in 12 games while filling in for the Red Sox during their recent COVID-19 outbreak.

Arraez isn't starting Friday's game against the Royals.

Arraez went 2-for-12 with a triple, an RBI and a walk across the last three games, but he'll head to the bench with left-hander Daniel Lynch starting for the Royals. Josh Donaldson will start at third base while Rob Refsnyder enters the lineup in left field.

Motter was outrighted to Triple-A Worcester after clearing waivers Friday.

Motter lost his spot on the 40-man roster earlier in the week after Danny Santana and Enrique Hernandez returned from the COVID-19 injured list. The infielder didn't garner any takers on the waiver wire, so he'll remain in the Boston organization at Triple-A going forward. Motter has appeared in 16 big-league games with the Red Sox and Rockies this season, logging five hits (two XBH), one RBI and five runs scored across 29 plate appearances.

Lopez went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 6-0 win over Baltimore.

The 26-year-old went deep in the first inning, and that was the only run until he added an RBI single in the eighth. Lopez is far from a power hitter, as Thursday's homer was just his second of the year. He's still been hot at the plate lately, with multiple hits in five of six games during his current hitting streak. The shortstop owns a .297/.365/.375 slash line with 38 RBI, 62 runs scored and 19 stolen bases across 469 plate appearances.

Gimenez isn't starting Thursday's game against Minnesota.

Gimenez went just 1-for-8 with four strikeouts across the last two games, and he'll head to the bench for the second time in the last four contests. Owen Miller will start at the keystone and bat seventh.

Kemp (wrist) will bat seventh and play right field Thursday against the White Sox.

Kemp left Tuesday's game with a left wrist injury and didn't participate in Wednesday's contest, but the issue has evidently cleared up. He was swinging a hot bat immediately prior to the injury, hitting .370 with a pair of homers over his last eight games.

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 9-8 loss to the Orioles.

The 32-year-old has now reached the 40-steal plateau for the second time in his career, leaving him three back of Starling Marte for the major-league lead. Merrifield is finishing up the season on a roll, slashing .315/.347/.483 over his last 20 games with two homers, six stolen bases, 11 RBI and 19 runs.

Semien went 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBI and a run Wednesday in the Blue Jays' 6-3 win over the Yankees.

Semien has been the driving force of the Blue Jays' 7-0 start to September. In those seven games, he's gone 10-for-27 (.370 average) with six home runs, 13 RBI, seven runs, a stolen base and a 5:4 BB:K. After plating a pair of runs on a base hit in the fourth inning, Semien upped his season RBI total to 90. In so doing, he joined teammate Vladimir Guerrero (99 RBI, 106 runs) as the only players with in the majors with at least 90 RBI and 90 runs.

Hernandez went 0-for-1 with two walks and a stolen base in Wednesday's 8-5 win over Arizona.

Hernandez also sacrificed in one of his four plate appearances Wednesday. He's racked up four stolen bases in his last four games, and he's up to eight thefts on the year. The 23-year-old infielder is slashing a reasonable .264/.356/.299 with five RBI, 11 runs scored and three doubles through his first 25 major-league games, but he's profiled as a contact hitter more than a power threat with just four home runs across four minor-league seasons.

Altuve went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-5 loss to Seattle.

The second baseman went yard in the fifth inning. Altuve has homered in consecutive games after failing to put a ball over the fence in all of August. He's hit safely in seven of the last eight contests and now sports a .272/.347/.481 slash line with 27 long balls, 71 RBI, 94 runs scored and four stolen bases across 582 plate appearances.