MLB Player News

Lopez went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Saturday's 4-2 win over Seattle.

The shortstop has rattled off three-hit efforts in each of the last two games, and four times in his last 11 contests. Lopez lifted his batting average to .287 with a home run, 34 RBI, 54 runs scored and 18 stolen bases through 419 plate appearances. Saturday was his sixth three-hit game of the year.

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-2 win over Seattle.

After being stuck on eight homers for nearly two months, Merrifield has gone yard twice in his last four games to reach the double-digit mark. He's been on a surge at the plate this month, batting .315 with two long balls, 14 RBI, 20 runs scored and six doubles through his last 26 contests. Merrifield also ranks second in the majors with 38 stolen bases, providing great speed and strong on-base skills atop Kansas City's lineup.

Ibanez was removed from Saturday's game against the Astros with left hamstring tightness.

Ibanez went 0-for-2 with a walk before exiting the contest at the start of the seventh inning. The 28-year-old should be considered day-to-day as he continues to be evaluated.

Espinal exited Saturday's game against the Tigers with a strained right hip flexor, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The severity of the injury is not yet clear. Espinal had stepped into a starting role at third base in the absence of Cavan Biggio, who's dealing with elbow, back and neck issues. Breyvic Valera replaced him in Saturday's contest and could spend time as a regular starter should Espinal miss an extended period as well, though Kevin Smith could also compete for opportunities.

Jones isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rays, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Jones had started each of the last four games, and he went 2-for-17 with a double, two runs and seven strikeouts. Jorge Mateo (back/hip) will return to the lineup at the keystone, while Ramon Urias will start at shortstop.

Torres (thumb) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset on Saturday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Torres began working out at Double-A Somerset during the week, and he'll remain with the minor-league club to begin his rehab assignment. The 24-year-old has been on the injured list since Aug. 9 and seems to be on track to rejoin the major-league club sometime in early September.

Kemp went 2-for-3 while hitting leadoff in a loss to the Yankees on Friday.

Mark Canha's demotion from the top of the order opened up an opportunity for Kemp to make his 13th appearance in the leadoff spot this season. The veteran has shown some signs of life at the plate recently with a .333 average over his last five games, and his modest 16.5 percent strikeout rate makes him a solid candidate to remain in the role against right-handed pitching the rest of the way.

Andrus is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Andrus has four hits in his last three games but still owns a poor .231/.276/.308 line on the season. Josh Harrison will start at shortstop in his absence.

Lopez went 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 8-7 extra-innings win over Seattle.

The 26-year-old opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning. Lopez was also on base when Salvador Perez hit a game-tying grand slam in the fourth. Through 24 games in August, Lopez has batted a solid .280 with a home run, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. That's right in line with his season triple-slash of .282/.353/.354. The shortstop can't be counted on for much power, but he's been a solid contact hitter even after moving up to the No. 2 spot in the order earlier in the month.

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs, a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 8-7 victory versus the Mariners.

Merrifield led off the game with a double and quickly stole third base before scoring the Royals' first run. The theft was his 38th of the campaign, moving him two behind Starling Marte for the league lead. Merrifield has been red hot at the plate of late, registering five multi-hit efforts over his past seven games. Over that span, he is slashing .419/.457/.710 with a home run, nine RBI, eight runs and two stolen bases.