MLB Player News

Altuve is away from the team Tuesday due to illness, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve's bug is reportedly the same one that kept teammate Alex Bregman out of action for a few days. Assuming a similar timeline for Altuve's recovery, his preparation for the upcoming season shouldn't be significantly impacted.

Polanco (ankle) will start at shortstop and bat second Tuesday in the Twins' Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The Twins have brought Polanco along slowly this spring after he required surgery on his right ankle in the offseason. After Polanco made his Grapefruit League debut as a designated hitter Sunday, he'll now draw back into his normal position on the diamond, signaling that the Twins are comfortable with where he stands on the health front. Polanco is once again expected to occupy a prominent spot in one of the majors' more potent lineups in 2020.

Kemp, who went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs in a Cactus League win over the Indians on Sunday, is now hitting .444 across 21 spring plate appearances.

Kemp has been swinging a red-hot bat since the exhibition slate began, complementing his ability to fill in all over the outfield and at second base with impressive offensive contributions. The 28-year-old has toiled for the Astros and Cubs over his four major-league seasons, and he could certainly carve out an Opening Day spot if he demonstrates he can keep up his strong work at the plate during the balance of the spring.

Semien is hitting .400 with a double, four RBI, four walks and four runs across six spring games.

The shortstop will play his final year under team control on a $13 million contract, making his salary second only to Khris Davis on the Athletics. Semien could well be elsewhere in 2021, but after compiling a career-best .285/.369/.522 line last season that included new high-water marks in doubles (43), triples (seven), home runs (33) and RBI (92), he's expected to be a major contributor again this coming season.

Biggio got the start in center field during Saturday's Grapefruit League game, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

While the 24-year-old is still locked in as the Jays' starting second baseman, Biggio could find himself seeing occasional action in center or at first base depending on who else is resting or slotted in at DH during any particular game. While this might eventually result in extra position eligibility down the road in fantasy leagues with lower qualification thresholds, the most important takeaway is that manager Charlie Montoya sees Biggio as a player he needs to keep in the lineup as much as possible.

Polanco (ankle) is batting third as the designated hitter in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The 26-year-old has been held out through the early portions of spring training while continuing his recovery from right ankle surgery in November, but he appears to be nearing full clearance. Polanco figures to return to the field at shortstop in the near future, but for now he'll stick with hitting and running the bases.

Arauz started at second base and went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Thursday's game against the Phillies.

Arauz, who was selected in the Rule 5 draft this winter, is looking for one of the final two bench spots. He's a switch hitter that can play second, third and short, putting him in competition with Tzu -Wei Lin and Marco Hernandez. There's a chance two of those three players will make the team.

Chavis started at second base and went 2-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's spring game against the Pirates.

Chavis has appeared in three Grapefruit League games, playing both first and second base while going 2-for-7. If healthy, Chavis should find himself in the lineup daily. He showed power in 2019, going deep 18 times in 382 plate appearances, but there were also challenges. He batted just .221 with a .649 OPS over the second half.

Andrus made his Cactus League debut Tuesday, going 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts in a game against the Royals.

Andrus was the last of the Rangers' regulars to appear in a spring game. He's coming off a pair of mediocre seasons, and the 31-year-old shortstop needs to change the narrative in 2020. There isn't an in-house candidate ready to step in to replace Andrus, but the Rangers have noted his drop in production.

Lowe (personal) is in the lineup for Tuesday's spring game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe was excused Monday to tend to his spring training home with a brush fire in the area, but that will be the extent of his absence. He will man second base and hit cleanup in Tuesday's batting order.