MLB Player News

Lowe went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run in a win over the Indians on Wednesday.

Lowe's first big-league three-bagger served as his third extra-base hit over the last five contests and snapped the 1-for-10 mini-skid he'd endured over the prior three games. The rookie has enjoyed a productive month thus far after showing signs of improvement in late August, as he's batting a solid .294 with three doubles, Wednesday's triple, a home run and seven RBI across 37 September plate appearances.

Altuve is not in the lineup against Detroit on Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve will receive a standard breather after starting the past seven games and 19 of the last 20. During his current six-game hit streak, Altuve has slashed .308/.379/.577 with two home runs and three RBI. In his place, Yuli Gurriel will start at second base.

Altuve batted leadoff and went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Tigers.

Altuve moved into the leadoff spot because George Springer was given a day off and promptly took Jordan Zimmerman's first pitch over the wall in left. The homer was Altuve's second in three games and extended his hitting streak to six games. The second baseman had been slumping, going hitless in 19 consecutive at-bats before starting the six-game streak. It also appears that Altuve's knee is fine after he banged it in a game Monday.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs and two stolen bases in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Merrifield stole second in the fifth inning and proceeded to steal third on a double-steal to give him 33 stolen bases on the year. Merrifield now ranks second in the majors in steals and his .303 batting average and 74 runs both rank within the top 10 among MLB second basemen. He also leads his team in doubles (36) and on-base percentage (.366) to round out what has been another highly productive season.

Kemp went 2-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Tigers.

Kemp continued his hot hitting and is 8-for-21 (.381 average) with a home run and four RBI in July. The current health of the Astros' outfield leaves the 26-year-old without a true starting role, but he has played well enough as a fill-in to secure semi-regular opportunities.

Solarte is not starting Tuesday in Boston.

Solarte started in his first game back from an oblique injury but won't get to start two in a row. Devon Travis will start at second base, with Aledmys Diaz remaining the third baseman.

Altuve banged his knee while attempting to turn a double play in Monday's win over the Tigers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. He stayed in the game and finished 1-for-4.

Altuve had spent nearly a month on the disabled list earlier this season with soreness in the same knee, so there was some concern following the play. The second baseman said he was a little sore, but is confident he can play Tuesday.

Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Monday's win over the White Sox.

Merrifield led off the first with his 12th home run of the season. He had been slumping lately with just three hits in his last 27 at-bats, but hopefully the homer will snap him out of his slump. He remains one of the best second basemen in baseball with his .302 average and 31 steals.

Altuve went 2-for-5 with a solo home run Sunday against the Red Sox.

Altuve took Rick Porcello deep in the sixth inning to record his 11th home run of the season. It was his first home run since Aug. 24, though he is riding a modest four-game hitting streak, during which he's managed five hits across 16 at-bats. After swiping 11 bases between June and July, Altuve has also stopped running since returning from a knee injury on Aug. 21, going only 1-for-2 on stolen base attempts.

Lowe hit a three-run home run in the first inning while going 1-for-4 of Sunday's game.

Lowe went hitless in his first 19 at-bats after his callup in August, but he has hit .352/.444/.648 since breaking that slump. The home run was his fourth in his last 10 games.