MLB Player News

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.

Mendick was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday.

Mendick should continue to receive bench opportunities whenever the White Sox need another infielder, but his career .237/.297/.348 slash line in 131 games at the highest level means he's unlikely to stick around for long or play a regular role. He'll vacate the roster here so the White Sox can add Johnny Cueto ahead of his season debut.

Altuve went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored Sunday against the Nationals.

Altuve returned from an undisclosed injury that caused him to exit Friday's game and miss Saturday's matchup. He went hitless in his first three at-bats but singled in the seventh inning before coming around to score. Altuve then led off the ninth frame with a solo home run, his seventh of the season. He's gone yard six times in his last 11 games, also driving in eight and scoring 13 runs. Across 92 plate appearances on the campaign, Altuve is hitting .259/.348/.531.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Rockies.

Merrifield hit a solo shot in the sixth inning and a sacrifice fly in the seventh. It's been a bounce-back week for the 33-year-old, who has hit safely in six straight games, going 10-for-27 (.370) with both of his home runs this season in that span. For the year, he's at a .183/.213/.252 slash line with 13 RBI, 13 runs scored and five stolen bases in 32 contests, though the recent uptick in hitting should be encouraging for fantasy managers who have been patient with him.