MLB Player News

Lowe isn't starting Tuesday's game against the Marlins.

Following a scheduled off day Monday, Lowe will get another night to rest after going 0-for-7 over his last two contests. Daniel Robertson will man the keystone and bat third with Lowe on the bench.

Merrifield is expected to see the majority of his starts in the outfield rather than at second base for the foreseeable future with the Royals set to promote middle infielder Nicky Lopez from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Merrifield already carried second-base and outfield eligibility in most fantasy leagues this season, and he now looks poised to maintain that dual eligibility heading into 2020. He's already made 11 starts in the outfield and should reach the eligibility threshold required in most leagues within the next couple weeks, assuming the Royals follow through with their plan to deploy Lopez at second base on an everyday basis. The ability to slot Merrifield at multiple spots in fantasy lineups merely provides a small boost to his value, which has remained as robust as it was heading into the season. Over 41 games, Merrifield is hitting .286 with seven steals, six home runs, 19 RBI and 30 runs.

The Twins promoted Arraez from Double-A Pensacola to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

Arraez will assume the roster spot of another well-regarded infield prospect in Nick Gordon (thigh), who was placed on the 7-day injured list. Over 164 plate appearances at Pensacola this season, the 22-year-old slashed .342/.415/.397 while going 3-for-6 on stolen-base attempts.

Altuve (hamstring) may not begin a running program until the end of Houston's three-game series against the Tigers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve, who is traveling with the Astros, must first initiate a running program before moving to on-field activities. If he starts running by Thursday's off day, Altuve could begin on-field activity during the weekend series in Boston. The second baseman is eligible to come off the injured list May 21. During Altuve's absence, Aledmys Diaz is expected to serve as the primary second baseman with Yuli Gurriel the backup.

Rengifo will be recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake ahead of Tuesday's game against the Twins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Rengifo will be called up to replace Kole Calhoun, who was placed on the paternity list Monday night. Rengifo has struggled in the big leagues through nine games this season, hitting .185 with three extra-base hits and an RBI.

Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a walk in Monday's 8-1 loss to the Astros.

Rodriguez, who batted fifth, and seventh-place hitter Josh Harrison combined for four of the team's five hits. In fact, the four hitters ahead of Rodriguez in the lineup went 0-for-14, so the 27-year-old infielder didn't have many opportunities to post counting stats. That said, Rodriguez has done nothing but hit lately, as he's now batting .301 with a 1.008 OPS.

Lopez will have his contract selected from Triple-A Omaha prior to Tuesday's game against the Rangers.

According to Rustin Dodd of The Athletic, Lopez will immediately step in as the Royals' primary second baseman. The addition of Lopez will move Whit Merrifield to the outfield on a more regular basis, while third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez will likely shift to a bench role as part of the domino effect of the roster shuffle. The promotion is warranted for Lopez, as the well-regarded prospect was slashing .353/.457/.500 with a trio of homers and nine stolen bases through 31 games with Triple-A Omaha this season. Jake Newberry was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Torres (elbow) is back in the lineup Monday against Baltimore.

Torres was hit in the elbow by a pitch Friday but remained in the game and started Saturday's contest. He was given the day off Sunday due to elbow soreness but won't need a second day to rest. He'll hit fifth and play shortstop against the Orioles.

Kemp started in left field and went 3-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's 15-5 win over the Rangers.

Kemp was one of several hitting stars for the Astros on Sunday. The three-hit day was his first of the season and second multi-hit performance. This was just the fourth start in the last 15 games for Kemp, whose swing is feeling every bit of that inactivity. He pushed his average from .188 to .226 with the effort.

Castro was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Castro will head back to the minor leagues after hitting .227 with a double in nine games since being promoted April 30. Josh Harrison (shoulder) is set to be activated from the injured list prior to Monday's matchup with the Astros and will take Castro's place on the 25-man roster.