MLB Player News

Lopez will start at second base and will bat eighth Sunday against the White Sox, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Lopez batted second in the Kansas City order over a stretch of seven games earlier this month, but after failing to heat up at the plate, he's since returned to the bottom third of the lineup. He'll stick in the No. 8 spot for the sixth game in a row after going 2-for-16 over the previous five contests, dropping his season slash line to .205/.286/.284 in the process.

Estrada is out of the lineup for the first game of Sunday's doubleheader with the Mets.

Back on the bench for the second straight game, Estrada doesn't look like he'll be in line for regular starts any longer after DJ LeMahieu (thumb) was reinstated from the injured list Saturday. Prior to the back-to-back benchings, Estrada had started seven of the previous eight contests, going 3-for-21 with a solo home run.

Andrus (back) is expected to be activated from the injured list ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Astros, Sam Blum and Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News report.

Andrus has been on the IL since Aug. 20 with a lower-back strain. Prior to the injury, he had a .494 OPS with just three RBI in 21 games. Andrus is expected to resume a role as the starting shortstop, but the Rangers will be sellers at the trade deadline and could start looking at younger talent the rest of the season.

Lowe is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The lefty-hitting Lowe's absence from the starting nine comes as a surprise with a right-hander (Sandy Alcantara) on the hill for Miami. Manager Kevin Cash may have just wanted to give Lowe a day to clear his head with the 26-year-old stuck in a 4-for-31 slump over his last nine games.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated Saturday that Torres is making strides in his recovery from a strained left hamstring, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

"He's doing better than I would have anticipated at this point. He's getting close," Boone indicated. Torres was given a 2-3 week timeline when the injury was initially diagnosed, and general manager Brian Cashman pushed that estimate to 3-6 weeks Friday. Given Boone's comments Saturday, it appears the shortstop could return at the early end of that timeframe, if not sooner.

Mendick was replaced at second base by the returning Nick Madrigal on Saturday.

Mendick had been a fixture at second base and at the bottom of the White Sox's order while Madrigal rehabbed a shoulder injury. He took advantage of the opportunity with a .757 OPS and three home runs, but Madrigal is a top prospect and will be the primary starter going forward.

Biggio went 2-for-4 with two hits and two RBI on Saturday against Baltimore.

Biggio came to bat with runners on second and third in the fourth inning and delivered with a two-run single. He's logged at least one hit in 13 of his last 16 games, driving in 10 and scoring 17 runs in that span. Overall, he's maintained a .274/.397/.487 line across 142 plate appearances.

Semien is experiencing left side soreness and is undergoing an MRI, Alex Coffey of The Athletic reports.

The 30-year-old was a late scratch for Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader, and the MRI brings some concern he could face a longer absence. The A's should have more information on the injury Sunday, but Semien at least seems unlikely to be in the lineup for the series finale in Houston.

Rengifo was recalled from the alternate training site Saturday.

The 23-year-old was sent down Thursday but makes a quick return to provide some infield depth. Rengifo is likely to return to the alternate site once Franklin Barreto -- who was acquired Friday in exchange for Tommy La Stella -- clears the COVID-19 intake protocols.

Barreto was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Saturday while he goes through the intake protocols.

The 24-year-old was acquired by the Angels from the A's in exchange for Tommy La Stella on Friday, but he'll need to wait at least another day before being declared game ready. Luis Rengifo was recalled from the alternate training site to provide infield depth.