MLB Player News

Torres left Wednesday's game with right hip tightness and is undergoing an MRI, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Torres was left out of the starting lineup Tuesday -- though he did come in as a defensive replacement -- and it was clear that he wasn't right during Wednesday's game. He struck out in both of his at-bats and didn't seem comfortable at the plate, so manager Aaron Boone decided to pull the plug and send him in for some tests. Expect an update on the severity of his injury following the MRI.

Torres was forced to exit Wednesday's contest prior to the fifth inning, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com reports.

Torres had been dealing with a hip issue that was likely the culprit in his removal from the matinee. Manager Aaron Boone previously stated that this has been a lingering issue for Torres, though he stressed that it "wasn't a big deal," per Marc Carig of The Athletic. Look for an update on his status in the coming hours.

Torres (hip) will man second base and bat sixth against Atlanta on Wednesday.

Torres was left out of Tuesday's starting lineup due to a stiff hip flexor, but he was able to join the contest as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning. With a scheduled day off Thursday, Torres will get some additional rest before heading into a 10-game stretch prior to the All-Star break.

Kemp started in left field and went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Kemp's role with the Astros had been on decline, but the injury to shortstop Carlos Correa, who was placed on the disabled list with a back injury, triggered a roster shuffle that opened up at-bats again for Kemp. Marwin Gonzalez has been starting for Correa, leaving an outfield spot for Kemp or Jake Marisnick.

Motter (concussion) took grounders Tuesday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

The team believes he's progressing as well as possible. He's eligible to return from the disabled list July 6 and seems on track to do so, though recovery times from concussions can be hard to predict.

Torres' absence Tuesday against the Braves is due to a stiff hip flexor, Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports.

Torres apparently suffered the injury Monday night. The seriousness of the injury is not yet clear, though the Yankees have a day off Thursday, so they could elect to sit Torres on Wednesday as well in order to give him three days to heal.

Barreto was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.

Barreto has hit just .212 but has three homers in 18 games at the major-league level this season. He'll make way for the return of Matt Chapman (hand) from the disabled list.

Torres is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Braves.

Torres is 9-for-23 over his last six games, part of an impressive rookie campaign in which he's hit .296/.353/.560 with 15 homers in 61 games. Neil Walker will get the start at second base in his absence.

Polanco was reinstated from his 80-game suspension Monday.

Polanco has been out all year after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. The Twins will hope he can get back to the form he showed in the second half of last season, when he hit .293 with 10 homers and seven steals.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a run in a loss to the Indians on Sunday while also getting picked off first base. He's now hitting .368 (7-for-19) with an RBI, a walk and three runs over the last five games.

Semien's average has only gone up a modest six points overall to .251, but the more important aspect of his recent surge is that he may be rounding back into form after hitting just .182 over the first 21 games of June. The shortstop has actually coaxed his strikeout rate down to a career-low 19.5 percent this season, but he's also making hard contact at almost two percentage points lower than last season (28.8 percent, as compared to 2017's 30.3 percent). Coupled with a drop in flyball rate from 42.1 percent to 36.1 percent, Semien is producing only modest power numbers thus far (seven home runs over 375 plate appearances).