MLB Player News

Andrus (hamstring) went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in a loss to the Angels on Saturday.

Andrus' ninth swiped bag of the year came in the sixth inning after he got aboard with one of his two singles on the night, but he was unable to get around to score. The shortstop is hitting .331 with six homers, 26 RBI and 25 runs scored this season and will likely return to an everyday role and a lofty position in the Rangers' batting order.

Andrus (hamstring) was activated off the 10-day injured list ahead of Saturday's game against the Angels.

Andrus indicated he felt great after a full workout Friday, clearing the way for his return following a brief rehab assignment. The 30-year-old will retake the starting role at shortstop and bat second Saturday against Tyler Skaggs.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer as the Royals dropped the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Merrifield took J.A. Happ deep in the sixth inning for his seventh home run of the season and temporarily tied the score. The 30-year-old is hitting .325 over his last 40 at-bats, but this was his first home run since May 7. For the season, Merrifield is slashing .296/.354/.524 with eight stolen bases across 206 at-bats.

Altuve (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Altuve has been out for over two weeks with a hamstring strain. He's expected to play both Sunday and Monday but could be activated following his second rehab game.

Rodriguez is not in the lineup Saturday against the Mets.

Rodriguez's last game on the bench came exactly one month prior to Saturday's contest. He's been a pleasant surprise for the Tigers this season, posting an .826 OPS in 30 games. Niko Goodrum starts at shortstop Saturday.

Drury will sit Saturday against San Diego.

Drury has started at four different positions this season, so he should still be in line for fairly frequent starts even after the arrival of Cavan Biggio and the return of Lourdes Gurriel. He'll hit the bench on this occasion, with Randal Grichuk starting in right field.

Biggio went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Friday's loss to the Padres.

Getting the start at second base and batting eighth, Biggio struggled in his big-league debut. The Jays have nothing to lose by giving the 24-year-old a long leash, and Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s turnaround after some early struggles should encourage the club to be patient with Biggio as well. Expect the rookie to see most of his playing time at the keystone, though he could spend time in the outfield corners on occasion as well.

Semien went 1-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and a run in a win over the Mariners on Friday.

Semien turned in another prototypical leadoff effort while hitting safely for the fifth straight game. The veteran also has four stolen bases in May and five extra-base hits over his last five games.

Andrus (hamstring) went through a full workout Friday and is expected to be activated off the injured list Saturday, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports. "Vacation is over," Andrus said. "I feel great. My legs feel fine. I feel like nothing happened."

Andrus got at-bats in a pair of minor-league games, going 1-for-6 as a designated hitter for Double-A Frisco before Friday's session. The Rangers optioned Delino DeShields Jr. to the minors following Friday's game, clearing a spot for Andrus' return.

Biggio will start at second base and hit eighth in his big-league debut Friday against the Padres.

There's little sense in the Blue Jays calling up Biggio and not giving him regular at-bats, so expect to see him as a fixture in the lineup despite Eric Sogard's surprising numbers so far this season. If Biggio can come anywhere close to repeating his .307/.445/.504 line from his time with Triple-A Buffalo, he could rapidly move up in the order, as the Blue Jays are short on established bats.