MLB Player News

Chavis went 2-for-5 with two RBI in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Twins.

Chavis has emerged from his first taste of adversity at the MLB level and has hit safely in nine straight games, going 13-for-41 (.317) with two home runs, six RBI and seven runs scored during that stretch. His streak has been timely as Boston's offense overall has improved while the team has won seven of its last eight games. After getting his MLB career off to a blazing start, the infielder was mired in a 20-game slump in which he batted just .181. He'll continue to get at-bats as the starting first baseman but could eventually slot in as the primary second baseman when Mitch Moreland (quadriceps) and Steve Pearce (back) return.

Castro went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to the Pirates.

Castro singled home a run in the first inning, then followed a Brandon Dixon two-run shot in the third with a solo home run of his own, the first of his MLB career. The 25-year-old has been getting fairly regular playing time lately, and he's slashing .263/.295/.386 through 57 at-bats.

Torres went 1-for-3 with a grand slam home run, a walk and two runs in Wednesday's 12-1 win over the Rays.

The Yankees already held an 8-1 lead when Torres came to the plate with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, but he put the finishing touches on the victory with his 390-foot blast to right-center field. The young shortstop has an .869 OPS with 16 home runs in 68 games this season.

Polanco is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Polanco will head to the bench for what appears to be a routine day off after playing all 17 innings during Tuesday's 4-3 win, going 1-for-8 in the process. Luis Arraez is starting at shortstop in place of Polanco on Wednesday.

Mayfield remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Mayfield will be on the bench for a third straight game with manager AJ Hinch having seemingly settled on Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel as the Astros' regular options on the left side of the infield. Though Mayfield was instrumental in Saturday's win over the Blue Jays with three doubles and three runs, he's recorded just three hits in his other 39 at-bats since receiving a callup from Triple-A Round Rock in late May.

Kemp is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Jose Altuve (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and reinstalled as the everyday second baseman for the series finale, likely spelling an end to Kemp's run as a regular in the lineup. While the outfield also presents another playing-time avenue for the versatile Kemp, any steady opportunities he gets there will likely be short-lived with George Springer (hamstring) trending toward a return from IL early next week. Kemp suddenly looks like an expendable player in most deeper mixed leagues, and perhaps some AL-only formats as well.

Altuve (hamstring) was activated from the 10-day injured list and will start at second base and bat third Wednesday against the Reds, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve will check back into the Houston lineup for the first time since May 10 after the Astros cleared him to return to action following a successful three-game minor-league rehab assignment. Prior to landing on the shelf, Altuve was batting just .243 to go with nine home runs and one stolen base in three attempts. While it's not expected that his hamstring injury will have any impact on his productivity at the plate, Altuve's involvement in the run game could become more muted while he looks to avoid a potential aggravation. With Altuve back in the fold as the everyday second baseman, Tony Kemp is expected to shift into a utility role.

Semien went 1-for-4 with an RBI triple, a walk and two runs in a win over the Orioles on Tuesday.

Semien was one of the few Athletics not to leave the yard in the 16-run explosion, but he managed to contribute with his second triple of the season. The three-bagger also extended Semien's hitting streak to 15 games and pushed his June average to .338, a far cry from a month of May when he mustered just a .206 figure at the plate.

Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, six RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's rout of the Mariners.

Merrifield led off the game with a single and came around to score on a hit by Alex Gordon. He then helped put the game out of reach with a three-run blast in the fourth inning and a sacrifice fly for a run in the sixth before capping the scoring with a two-run blast in the eighth. The multi-homer game was the second of Merrifield's career, while the six RBI established a career high. He is putting together another fine season, complementing a .306/.353/.510 slash line with 10 homers, 39 RBI, 52 runs and 11 stolen bases.

Altuve (hamstring) is expected to be activated from the injured list ahead of Wednesday's game against the Reds, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Altuve returned to the team Tuesday to be re-evaluated, and it appears he's passed his tests with flying colors. The 29-year-old star was placed on the injured list May 11 due to a left hamstring strain, but he'll be eager to return to form after playing below his standards to kick off the 2019 campaign. Altuve is slashing .243/.329/.472 with nine homers, one stolen base and 21 RBI over 39 games this season.