MLB Player News

Andrus went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Giants.

Andrus' third-inning double plated Rougned Odor, tying the game at one apiece, but Texas could muster little else against former Ranger Derek Holland. For Andrus, the hit snapped an 0-for-11 run, which is the most recent phase of a longer slump. Since his four-hit performance against the Yankees on Aug. 10, the shortstop is hitting .172 (10-for-58) with three RBI over 13 games.

Rodriguez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the White Sox.

Rodriguez now has home runs in each of his last two starts, which are also the first two homers of his MLB career. Despite the recent success, the 26-year-old is still batting just .211 with a .546 OPS, and he figures to be a reserve player the rest of the season.

Polanco departed Sunday's game against the Athletics in the bottom of the fifth inning with leg cramps and tightness, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The shortstop was at least productive prior to his exit, finishing 2-for-3 at the plate before giving way to Ehire Adrianza. Polanco will benefit from a full day of rest with the Twins off the schedule Monday before the team kicks off a three-game set in Cleveland on Tuesday.

Kemp will start in center field and bat ninth Sunday against the Angels, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

For the sixth straight game, Kemp will fill in for the injured George Springer (quadriceps) in the outfield. While Kemp has done a commendable job as a replacement with six hits in 15 at-bats over the previous five contests, his run as an everyday player will soon come to an end. Manager A.J. Hinch announced earlier Sunday that he expects Springer to return to the lineup for Monday's series opener with the Athletics, according to Rome.

Rodriguez is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in Sunday's game against the White Sox.

With Jose Iglesias getting the day off, Rodriguez slides into the lineup for the series finale. The 26-year-old infielder hasn't been very productive this season, as he's slashing just .209/.248/.273, though he did blast his first career home run in his last start Thursday.

Lowe will start in right field and bat eighth Sunday against the Red Sox, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

It's the third consecutive start and fifth in six games for Lowe, who has seen his playing time spike with Mallex Smith (infection) on the disabled list and the Rays making Carlos Gomez less of a priority in the lineup. Lowe has rewarded the Rays with a .563 on-base percentage over the last five games and should benefit from steady at-bats so long as he continues to draw walks with regularity. His usefulness in traditional 5x5 formats has been more limited, however, as Lowe is hitting .195 with no home runs and one steal through his first 50 plate appearances in the big leagues.

Chavis went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, two RBI and three runs scored for Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday.

Chavis is off to a quick start in his first stint at the Triple-A level. He's played two games for the PawSox, homering in both while collecting five extra-base hits in nine at-bats. There was some surprise about his production in 2017, when he jumped from a struggling minor-league hitter to one with a .910 OPS and 31 homers in 126 games. Surprise turned to questions when he was slapped with an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in the spring, but the power surge has continued. Chavis has a 1.007 OPS with nine home runs in 40 games this season. We expect the Red Sox to have Chavis start 2019 at Pawtucket and get him more time at first base, a position of uncertainty beginning in 2020.

Altuve was hit on the left elbow by a fastball Saturday, but remained in the game, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve was in noticeable pain after getting plunked in the seventh inning, but managed to stay in the game and was part of a four-run outburst in the eighth inning. That he returned to the game is a positive sign, but we need to see how the elbow responds the next day.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI against the Indians on Saturday.

Merrifield drove in one run on an RBI single against Corey Kluber in the third inning and followed that up with an RBI double in the seventh inning. He had a 12-game hitting streak snapped Friday but now has hits in 13 of his last 14 games, which has pushed his batting average up to .306 for the season. That's good enough for eighth in the American League, and he also ranks second in stolen bases with 28.

Lowe went 2-for-2 with an RBI single, two walks, a stolen base and two runs in a win over the Red Sox on Friday.

Lowe may be starting to figure out this whole big-league thing after a slow start, at least if his last few games are any indication. The rookie churned out his second multi-hit effort in as many starts Friday, even contributing his first major-league stolen base in the process. Lowe profiled well offensively at Triple-A Durham this season, particularly on the power front, racking up 28 extra-base hits (including 14 home runs) over 205 plate appearances. He's yet to get going on that front against major-league arms, but the .613 slugging percentage he generated during his time with the Bulls offers a glimpse of his upside in that department.