MLB Player News

Lopez will start at second base and bat second Saturday against the Twins.

Lopez has hit in the bottom half of the order for much of June, but he'll stick in the No. 2 spot for the third straight game now that Adalberto Mondesi (groin) is on the 10-day injured list. The rookie got off to a hot start upon arriving in the big leagues in mid-May before enduring a prolonged cold streak, but his bat has been on the upswing lately. Though he saw a three-game multi-hit streak come to an end in Friday's 8-7 loss, Lopez reached base on a walk and hit-by-pitch and came around to score on both occasions.

Altuve went 3-for-4 with a walk in a 4-1 loss to the Yankees on Friday.

This was Altuve's third game since being activated off the injured list, and it looks like he's adjusted to major-league pitching after going 1-for-9 in the first two games. The second baseman had been out of the lineup since May 10, so it's natural if there might be a period of adjustment to get his timing down.

Torres went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's win over Houston.

Torres tacked on two key insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, leaving the yard for the 18th time this season. He's pieced together a .287/.347/.544 slash line with 45 RBI over 71 contests in 2019.

Mayfield was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The announcement that Carlos Correa (ribs) and Aledmys Diaz (hamstring) would be out through the All-Star break was expected to give Mayfield some job security in the short term, but he'll instead find his way back to Triple-A. Mayfield did little offensively to convince the Astros he should stay with a .143/.163/.310 slash line through 43 plate appearances. His return to the minors suggests the Astros feel Myles Straw's ability at shortstop will suffice in a pinch.

Biggio is not in the lineup for Friday's game at Boston.

Biggio will head to the bench Friday with lefty Chris Sale taking the mound for the Red Sox. Eric Sogard will start at the keystone in his stead.

Brujan (undisclosed) returned to action with High-A Charlotte on Thursday, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, a run scored and an RBI.

The 21-year-old missed close to a month, but he picked up right where he left off, collecting multiple hits for the 13th time in 40 games this season. He is now slashing .297/.367/.399 with 22 stolen bases in 27 attempts. That speed and his stellar bat-to-ball skills make up for what is only modest power and put Brujan pretty easily among the top 50 prospects for dynasty leagues. It seems likely that he will be challenged with a move up to Double-A later this summer.

Mayfield could serve as the Astros' utility infielder through the All-Star break, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros announced that starting shortstop Carlos Correa (ribs) and backup utility infielder Aledmys Diaz (hamstring) will not return before the break, which opens an opportunity for Mayfield to stick around for the next few weeks. Mayfield is not expected to get consistent at-bats, as Astros manager AJ Hinch often deploys Alex Bregman as the primary shortstop and has Jose Altuve back from injury to play second base.

Torres went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and two runs scored Thursday against the Astros.

Torres took Framber Valdez deep in the fourth inning to record his 17th homer of the season. It was his second long ball in as many days, accounting for seven RBI and four runs scored in that span. He's maintained an impressive .287/.347/.535 line across 289 plate appearances for the season.

Rengifo went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored Thursday against the Blue Jays.

Rengifo slugged a two-run homer to left field in the second inning, and he cut his team's deficit to one in the sixth by singling home a run, his third RBI of the night. The 22-year-old has now registered two or more hits in each of his last three contests, and he's reached base safely in five straight.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run in a win over the Orioles on Wednesday.

Semien's outstanding June continued Wednesday, with the shortstop generating his sixth multi-hit effort of the month. The veteran now has a 16-game hitting streak and has compiled 21 of his 29 extra-base hits on the season while operating out of the leadoff spot.