MLB Player News

Kemp is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Injuries to Jose Altuve (hamstring) and George Springer (hamstring) have opened up more playing time lately for Kemp, who had started five of the previous six games. Kemp's opportunities could soon be on the downturn, however, as Altuve is trending toward a return from the 10-day injured list around the middle of next week.

Lowe went 2-for-3 with a double, a solo home run and a walk in a win over the Indians on Saturday.

Lowe is squaring up on the ball in May, as he now has 10 extra-base hits (five doubles, five homers) during the month. The 24-year-old has three round trippers over his last seven games alone and is now slashing a solid .287/.337/.557 across 181 plate appearances this season.

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.