MLB Player News

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Altuve (COVID-19 injured list) could be activated at some point this weekend or early next week, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Only one of the five Astros placed on the COVID-19 injured list last week is known to have tested positive for the virus, and reading between the lines, that player appears to have been Altuve. The 30-year-old is only member of the quintet not to have been activated, as Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Martin Maldonado and Robel Garcia were all reinstated from the IL on Tuesday. Fortunately for Altuve, he seems to be making positive progress in his recovery. He was thriving as the Astros' leadoff man prior to his shutdown, slashing .318/.380/.455 with a home run, 11 runs and five RBI over his first 11 starts.

Rengifo is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Astros.

After starting at third base in three of the past four games, Rengifo will cede his spot in the lineup to Jose Rojas. Both Rengifo and Rojas are expected to see their playing time at the hot corner dry up soon, as Anthony Rendon (groin) could be activated from the 10-day injured list as soon as this weekend.

Rosario isn't starting Thursday's game against the Yankees.

Rosario has gone 2-for-13 with three runs and two strikeouts in the last three games. Jordan Luplow will take over in center field Thursday, leading off.

Lowe went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's 9-8 loss to the Royals.

Lowe's only hit of the night came early, as he launched a two-run homer in the first to give the Rays a commanding 4-0 lead. The 26-year-old has two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored over his last two games, but he is still struggling at the plate overall with a slash line .182/.299/.364.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run in Wednesday's win over Boston.

Semien was one one of four Blue Jays with two hits in the contest, and he crossed the plate with the team's second run after singling, stealing second, advancing to third on a wild pitch and coming home on a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Though he's batting a meager .192 on the season, the veteran infielder has provided fantasy value with four homers, four steals and seven RBI.

Polanco went 4-for-6 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 13-12 extra-inning loss to the A's.

All four hits were singles, but Polanco still got his share of the production in a wild affair. The infielder has struggled to get into a groove at the plate to begin the season, but Wednesday's performance boosted his slash line to .212/.274/.258.

Rengifo will start at third base and bat ninth Wednesday against the Rangers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rengifo has seemingly emerged as the primary replacement at third base for Anthony Rendon (groin), who was placed on the 10-day injured list last week. He'll be making his third start in four games at the hot corner, but his placement at the bottom of the order won't lend itself to many run-scoring or run-producing opportunities.

Lopez went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's 14-7 loss to the Rays.

Lopez lined a two-RBI single in the third inning and came around to score on a Carlos Santana double. In the sixth, Lopez got aboard with a double and scored on a Whit Merrifield single. Through 52 plate appearances, Lopez is slashing .304/.353/.391 with two stolen bases, five RBI and eight runs scored. He has yet to hit a homer, but he has a triple and two doubles among his 14 hits. The 26-year-old has filled in admirably as the primary shortstop while Adalberto Mondesi (oblique) remains out.

Short was recalled from the Tigers' alternate training site Wednesday.

Short can play second base and shortstop -- two positions that are typically occupied by Niko Goodrum and Willi Castro, so it will be interesting to see how he gets deployed. Renato Nunez was designated for assignment in a corresponding move, so there will also be at-bats available at designated hitter. The 25-year-old hit .211/.338/.414 with a 13.1 percent walk rate and 31.3 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A with the Cubs in 2019.

Lowe went 2-for-5 with a home run, a walk, two total RBI and two total runs in a 14-7 win over the Royals on Tuesday.

Lowe kicked off the scoring in the rout with an RBI fielder's choice in the first inning. He added a solo shot to center field in the fourth for his second homer of the campaign. The second baseman has yet to really get going this season, as he is slashing just .180/.306/.328 through 17 contests.