MLB Player News

Altuve went 1-for-2 with a stolen base, two runs scored and a pair of walks in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Mariners.

Altuve had no trouble getting on base Saturday. His steal came in the third inning after his lone hit, a single. Speed is not as big a factor as it used to be for the second baseman, who managed a career-low six steals in 2019. He has scored three times in the first two games of the season.

Kemp remains on the bench for the second game of the season Saturday against the Angels.

Preseason reports suggested that Kemp would be platooning with Franklin Barreto at second base, but it's been Chad Pinder who got the nod in both of the first two games of the year. Pinder started against lefty Andrew Heaney on Opening Day and remains in the lineup against righty Dylan Bundy on Saturday, which suggests both Kemp and Barreto could be nothing more than bench options this season.

Arraez isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the White Sox.

After driving in two runs on two hits in Friday's contest, Arraez will sit for Saturday's day game, likely to prevent any potential injuries. Ehire Adrianza is starting at second base, batting ninth.

Biggio went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run, two runs and three strikeouts in Friday's win against the Rays.

After generating some production in summer camp, Biggio translated his results to regular-season action. He put the Blue Jays ahead with a three-run home run in the fifth inning that forced Rays starter Charlie Morton out of the game. The 25-year-old hit .234/.364/.429 with 16 home runs, 48 RBI and 14 stolen bases over 100 games in his rookie season with the Blue Jays last season.

Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a stolen base during Friday's 2-0 loss against the Indians.

Merrifield failed to make an impact at the top of the order, but the entire Royals lineup struggled in this season opener -- they went 4-for-30 and 0-for-2 with RISP. Merrifield is a good bet to produce sooner than later, though, as he racked up 206 hits while posting a .302 average and a .348 on-base percentage during the 2019 season.

Kemp isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Angels.

Kemp is expected to be in a platoon at second base this season, and he'll sit for the season opener against left-hander Andrew Heaney. Chad Pinder is starting at second base, batting sixth. With the Athletics expected to face righty Dylan Bundy on Saturday, Kemp should be in the starting nine.

Lowe isn't in the lineup for Friday's season opener against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 26-year-old will begin the season on the bench with southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu on the bump for the Blue Jays, while Mike Brosseau receives the start at the keystone. Lowe likely will be in the lineup Saturday against right-hander Matt Shoemaker.

Arauz made the Red Sox's Opening Day roster, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

The Red Sox opted to keep Arauz, a Rule 5 selection in the offseason, instead of more established infielders and prospects the organization has cultivated. The Red Sox must maintain Arauz on the active roster (barring injury) for the entire season or offer him back to the Astros. It's easy enough to carry Arauz the first two weeks, when rosters are expanded to 30 players. The team will be challenged to keep him when rosters are trimmed to 28 on Aug. 6, then down to 26 on Aug. 20.

Rengifo (hamstring/undisclosed) is not on the Angels' 30-man roster.

Rengifo missed most of summer camp for undisclosed reasons and then tweaked his hamstring after reporting in mid-July. His timeline for returning to action remains unclear.

Jones is not included on the Angels' 30-man roster.

Jones has yet to play beyond the Double-A level, so his exclusion from the Opening Day roster is no surprise. The 22-year-old was expected to start the campaign with Triple-A Salt Lake before spring training was suspended, but he'll instead head to the team's alternate training site.