MLB Player News

Biggio (neck) is starting at third base in his return from the injured list Friday against the Red Sox.

Biggio was activated from the injured list earlier Friday. As expected he'll start at third base during his return at Fenway Park on Friday.

Manager Charlie Montoyo announced Friday that Biggio (neck) has been activated from the injured list ahead of the series opener against the Red Sox, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.

Biggio was placed on the 10-day IL on May 22 with a cervical spine ligament sprain. The infielder was able to begin a rehab assignment last Sunday and is now set to join the Jays for the series opener at Fenway Park on Friday. Biggio seems likely to start at third base in his return, though Montoyo has yet to release his lineup for the contest.

Espinal was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.

The 26-year-old is 6-for-15 in his past 10 games but will head to the minors Friday with Cavan Biggio (neck) returning from the injured list. Espinal could rejoin the Blue Jays later in the year when the team requires infield depth.

Arraez (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Arraez has been on the IL since May 26 with a right shoulder strain. The utility man was able to resume baseball activities earlier this week and now he'll return to game action with St. Paul on Friday. It's not entirely clear how many games Minnesota plans on Arraez playing at Triple-A, but a return to the Twins at some point next week seems to be realistic.

Castro (hand) is starting at third base and batting second Friday versus the White Sox.

The 27-year-old was a late scratch from Wednesday's lineup with a right hand injury, but it's apparently a minor issue given his quick return to the starting nine. Castro has a .306 average through 106 plate appearances, though his lack of pop (one extra-base hit) limits his offensive value.

Hernandez batted leadoff and went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 12-8 win over the Astros.

In the span of a week, Hernandez lost and regained the leadoff job. He had been in a miserable slump -- which reached 0-for-24 at one point -- but has put together four consecutive games with a base hit, going 6-for-14 during that span.

Mendick started at second base and went 0-for-3 in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Blue Jays.

Mendick was the first player to start in place of the injured Nick Madrigal, who was placed on the 60-day injured list with a proximal hamstring tear. There will be other fill-ins, beginning with Leury Garcia, who replaced Adam Eaton in right field against a left-hander Thursday.

Torres went 3-for-5 with a run scored in Thursday's loss against the Twins.

Torres has been seeing the ball extremely well of late and has hit safely in six of his last eight contests, recording five multi-hit appearances in that stretch. The star shortstop endured a rough start to the campaign but has turned things around and his average has climbed to a very respectable .279 on the season.

Altuve went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 12-8 loss to Boston.

Three of the second baseman's last four hits have ended up beyond the fence. Altuve is up to 11 homers, 29 RBI, 41 runs scored and two stolen bases through 51 games. He's added a .296/.364/.479 slash line. With four long balls in his last 10 games, the 31-year-old has found a groove.

Arroyo went 1-for-3 with a home run, four RBI and a walk in Thursday's 12-8 win over Houston. He was also hit by a pitch.

Arroyo delivered a game-tying, three-run blast in the fifth inning. Boston rallied again in the sixth, and Arroyo drew a bases-loaded walk for his fourth RBI of the game. The 26-year-old infielder has posted nine RBI and five runs scored through eight games in June. He's up to a .284/.348/.441 slash line with two homers, 14 RBI, 14 runs scored and a stolen base through 113 plate appearances. He's logged fairly consistent time at second base recently thanks to some solid hitting.