MLB Player News

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.

Andrus went 0-for-3 with a walk in Tuesday's loss to the Rays.

Andrus told Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News that's he's felt better in the last week or so than at any time since returning from an elbow injury in June. That may be the case, but one can't deduce that from his numbers. He doesn't have an extra-base hit or RBI over his last 10 games, a stretch in which he's hitting .103 (4-for-39).

Kemp started in center field and went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-0 win over Seattle.

With Josh Reddick (Achilles) sidelined, Kemp slotted into the starting lineup in center field while George Springer covered right field. With a day off looming Thursday, the Astros can keep Reddick out of Wednesday's series finale and allow three days for the Achilles to stop barking. In that case, Kemp could get another start Wednesday.

Johnson was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.

Johnson has been at Triple-A for most of the season after earning an invitation to major-league spring training, and slashed .277/.359/.459 with the Bees. The 28-year-old bolsters the Angels' infield depth as David Fletcher deals with a hamstring injury.

Solarte is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Orioles.

Solarte sits for the fourth time in the last eight games. Devon Travis starts at second base Tuesday, with Aledmys Diaz at third.

Drury (hand) is unlikely to return before the end of the season, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

Drury has been out since Aug. 7 with a fractured left hand. While his chances of returning this season are slim, the 26-year-old is out of his removable brace and is expected to begin a hitting and fielding progression in the near future. The hope is that Drury will enter spring training at full health after a normal offseason.

Lowe went 1-for-4 with a two-run triple in a win over the Athletics on Sunday.

Lowe's second career three-bagger in the seventh brought home Matt Duffy and Carlos Gomez, extending the Rays' lead to 5-0 at the time. The rookie is putting good wood on the ball in September, as nine of his 12 hits during the month have now gone for extra bases. That's helped lead to an impressive 11 RBI over 41 at-bats, as well as a 39-point boost in batting average to .247.

Polanco went 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's 9-6 win over the Royals.

Polanco knocked four hits for the first time in 2018, including a solo shot in the sixth inning. The 25-year-old infielder owns a .285 average with 21 extra-base hits in 249 at-bats this season.

Andrus is out of the lineup Sunday against the Padres.

Andrus will head to the bench for the second straight Sunday, allowing utility man Jurickson Profar to pick up a start at shortstop. It's been a rough September thus far for the 30-year-old, who has gone 9-for-48 (.188 average) and has drawn only three walks in 12 starts.