MLB Player News

Mendick started at shortstop in place of Tim Anderson (thumb) and went 1-for-4 in a 5-1 win over the Orioles.

Anderson was out of the lineup for a second consecutive day, but manager Tony La Russa expects him back Friday. Mendick filled in for Anderson both days, going 2-for-8 from the nine hole.

Lowe went 0-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and two stolen bases Thursday against the Royals.

Lowe had an unconventional line, but he was still productive. He reached base twice, and on each occasion he stole second base and came around to score. Despite the productive outing, Lowe has failed to record a home run or drive in a run in his last six appearances. For the season, he's hitting .196/.320/.393 across 200 plate appearances.

Semien went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Semien homered off Domingo German with two outs in the third inning to start the scoring Thursday. It was his 13th long ball of the season, trailing only Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s 16 for Toronto. The 30-year-old is providing high-end power and speed, leading the team with eight steals in addition to being second in homers. He is slashing .286/.353/.546 in 216 plate appearances.

Espinal isn't in the lineup for Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Espinal will be out of the lineup for a second straight game after he went 0-for-10 with an RBI, a walk and two strikeouts across his last three appearances. Joe Panik will start at third base and bat eighth.

Miller went 2-for-3 with a double in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Detroit.

Offense was at a premium Wednesday, with Miller recording half of Cleveland's four hits and the only one of the team's knocks to go for extra bases. It was Miller's first multi-hit game. The 24-year-old has taken on a bit of a utility role since he was called up -- that kind of usage should lead to fairly consistent playing time if he hits well.

Lopez isn't starting Thursday's game against the Rays.

Lopez will retreat to the bench for the second time in the last three games after he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout Wednesday. Whit Merrifield will start at second base while Jorge Soler takes over in right field. Lopez is still the likely favorite for playing time at second base, but he could see a slight downtick in playing time now that Adalberto Mondesi has returned to action at shortstop.

Rosario was scratched from the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers due to a right hand contusion, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Rosario was hit by a pitch on his hand in Tuesday's contest, and he'll be held out of the lineup for a second consecutive game. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available off the bench, but Yu Chang will take over at shortstop and bat sixth.

Castro will start at second base and bat second Thursday against Cleveland.

Castro saw a five-game streak with multiple hits come to an end Wednesday with an 0-for-4 showing in the Tigers' 1-0 win, but it won't stop him from getting a third consecutive start. He'll be filling in at second base while the usual starter at the position, Willi Castro, gets a turn as the Tigers' designated hitter.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, two total RBI and two total runs in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Dodgers.

Altuve got Houston off to a quick start, smashing a 401-foot long ball to left field off Trevor Bauer to lead off the bottom half of the first inning. In the seventh frame, he added another RBI on an infield single and subsequently came around to score on Aledmys Diaz's home run. Altuve has bounced back with a .311/.360/460 slash line in 2021 after hitting only .219 last season. With six homers and 21 RBI, he has already surpassed his totals over 48 games in 2020.

Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and two strikeouts in Wednesday's 2-1 extra-inning loss to Tampa Bay.

In the sixth inning, Merrifield drew a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and stole third. The speedster has already racked up 14 steals in 47 games this season. He's slashing .251/.322/.374 with four home runs, 24 RBI and 28 runs scored in 205 plate appearances. Merrifield may eventually share the leadoff spot in the order with Adalberto Mondesi, who returned from an oblique injury Tuesday.