MLB Player News

Altuve went 3-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and was caught stealing in Saturday's 10-5 win over the Angels.

A crazy thing happened on the way to the Astros' victory. A seven-inning pitching duel turned into an absurd eighth inning in which 14 of the game's 15 runs were scored. After the Angels plated five in the top of the inning to take a 5-1 lead, the Astros stormed back with nine runs of their own. Altuve finished off the circus with a two-run home run, his 13th of the season. Since halting a 19-at-bat hitless streak earlier this month, Altuve is 16-for-52 (.308) with a .957 OPS, three homers, nine RBI and 13 runs scored over a 14-game stretch.

Merrifield went 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, two walks, an RBI and a run in a loss to the Tigers on Saturday.

Merrifield roped his second triple and 42nd double of the season off Jordan Zimmermann and Joe Jimenez, respectively. Following this busy night with the bat, the 2017 breakout star continues building on that lore by slashing .304/.369/.441 with 12 homers, 58 RBI, 86 runs and 38 stolen bases -- which ranks him second in big-league thefts behind Trea Turner (41).

Semien went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Saturday against the Twins.

Semien launched his 13th homer of the season off Chase De Jong in the fifth inning, only his second home run since Aug. 28. His .259/.323/.386 slash line is not particularly strong, though he has chipped in 14 stolen bases and 86 runs across 607 at-bats.

Forsythe (knee) isn't in Saturday's starting lineup against the Athletics, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Forsythe will miss his second straight game due to left knee inflammation. The issue isn't expected to be serious, so he should return to the starting nine before the season ends.

Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Royals.

Rodriguez is slashing just .233/.262/.346 in the majors this season, though he's shown decent pop with five home runs in 179 at-bats. The 26-year-old infielder is likely auditioning for a reserve role with the Tigers to begin the 2019 season, though with Jose Iglesias potentially out the door, there could be an opening to fill at shortstop.

Forsythe was held out of Friday's game against Oakland due to a left knee issue, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Forsythe's knee "was not functioning correctly" when he woke up Friday, Twins manager Paul Molitor stated. Forsythe is reportedly battling some inflammation, but the issue isn't believed to be serious, per Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The 31-year-old second baseman will be considered day-to-day moving forward.

Forsythe isn't in Friday's starting lineup against the Athletics.

Forsythe will catch a breather after going 1-for-5 with a double in Wednesday's series finale against Detroit. Gregorio Petit draws the start at the keystone and will bat ninth in Forsythe's absence.

Lowe is not in the lineup for Fridays game against against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe heads to the bench for the second time in the last three games as right-hander Sean Reid-Foley takes the mound for Toronto. Joey Wendle grabs the start at second base and will bat fifth for the Rays.

Semien went 3-for-5 with a double, five RBI and a run scored Thursday against the Angels.

Semien doubled with the bases loaded in the sixth inning, the hit that accounted for most of his production on the day. It was a slump-busting performance for him, as he had gone 0-for-9 across his last three games and hadn't driven in a run since September 9. Though he's never followed up his 27-home run season in 2016, Semien has scored plenty of runs and produces enough homers and stolen bases to be a solid option in deeper formats.

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a double, two singles, two runs and a steal in Thursday's loss to the Tigers.

Merrifield continues to lead the American League with 37 steals, and the three-hit effort extended his hit streak to 11 games. He owns a .303 batting average with 12 home runs, 57 RBI and 84 runs over 665 plate appearances in 2018.