MLB Player News

Rodriguez is out of the lineup against the Twins on Thursday.

Rodriguez will receive a breather for just the second time since Sept. 15. In his place, Nick Castellanos will serve as the club's DH while Mikie Mahtook gets a start in the outfield.

Semien went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Mariners.

Semien's 15th home run of the season was one of four Oakland long balls on the night in the series finale. The shortstop has only gotten base at a .258 clip over the Athletics' seven games, but he's made a big fantasy impact over that stretch with three home runs and 12 RBI.

Torres (hip, groin) will bat seventh and start at second base against the Rays on Thursday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Torres was withheld from the starting lineup the past two games due to hip and groin tightness, though he was able to enter Wednesday's contest as a defensive replacement. Since the start of September, he's slashed .243/.310/.365 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 22 games.

Polanco went 2-for-4 with a triple, a walk, three RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's win over the Tigers.

Polanco helped break the game open in the fifth inning, delivering a bases-loaded triple to expand an 8-4 lead to an 11-4 margin. The 25-year-old is just 6-for-12 in stolen-base attempts, but he's slashing an impressive .285/.342/.431.

Merrifield went 1-for-5 with two stolen bases and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Reds.

Merrifield singled to lead off the third inning and swiped second and third base before scoring on a single from Alex Gordon. The utility man is now sitting at 41 stolen bases on the season, putting him just two behind the major-league leader, Trea Turner. He's also hitting .303/.367/.440 with 12 homers and 87 runs scored.

Torres (hip, groin) remains out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rays, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Torres was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with hip and groin tightness. The injury was reported as minor, but it will cost him at least a pair of starts. Neil Walker will again get the call at second base.

Estrada (back) clubbed a home run for the Yankees in an instructional league game against the Pirates earlier this week, the Associated Press reports.

Estrada hadn't played in any minor-league games since May 7 after a back injury resulted in him spending most of the season on the 7-day disabled list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Now seemingly healthy again, Estrada will look to make up for the lost at-bats by playing regularly in the instructional league and perhaps taking part in winter ball.

Forsythe (knee) started at third base and went 0-for-3 with a walk in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Tigers.

Forsythe had missed the Twins' last three games with left knee inflammation, but the fact that the team didn't immediately shut him down for the season suggests the issue was only a minor concern. With Miguel Sano (knee) uncertain to return over the Twins' final five contests, Forsythe should see most of his remaining opportunities at the hot corner with the hot-hitting Ehire Adrianza having seemingly established himself as the preferred option at second base.

Drury (hand) was shifted to the 60-day disabled list prior to Wednesday's game.

Though Drury was unlikely to return to the field during the final stretch of the season, this move confirms that his 2018 campaign has come to a close. In a disappointing year, the infielder battled injuries and a months-long demotion, which led to only 26 games played at the major-league level between Toronto and New York. In a corresponding move, Jon Berti had his contract selected from the minors.

Solarte is out of the lineup against Houston on Wednesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Solarte went 2-for-8 with one RBI during the first two games of this series. Joe Berti is set to make his major-league debut and will start at second base while Aledmys Diaz gets the start at third.