MLB Player News

Marte went 2-for-2 with three walks and a run scored in Sunday's 7-3 loss to Cincinnati.

Marte is rolling with hits in four straight games. The second baseman is 7-for-14 with four walks, two doubles, two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored during that stretch and now has an .887 OPS through 93 games this season.

Miller went 1-for-3 with one RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 4-2 loss to Atlanta.

Miller is batting just .194 (12-for-62) in July, and he's not helping his cause with a 4:16 BB:K. The versatile 26-year-old continues to fill a regular role at first base while Rowdy Tellez (forearm) is out of action. Miller's posted a .271/.311/.386 slash line with 13 steals, five home runs, 27 RBI and 29 runs scored across 82 contests this season, but he may slip back into a platoon if he can't pick up the pace soon.

Turang went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-2 loss to Atlanta.

Turang has seen fairly steady playing time since the All-Star break, but he's gone just 4-for-24 (.167) over his last nine games. His homer Sunday was his first extra-base hit in that span. For the season, he's slashing .203/.272/.313 with four homers, 20 RBI, 20 runs scored and 11 stolen bases through 250 plate appearances. Turang appears to have at least a strong-side platoon role at second base, and he should remain in the lineup regularly while Owen Miller and Andruw Monasterio cover the corner infield spots with Rowdy Tellez (forearm) and Brian Anderson (back) sidelined.

Albies went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Brewers.

Albies had hit a cold spell, going 0-for-14 over his previous four contests. He'd also gone 12 games without a homer since he popped a pair of them July 4 in Cleveland. The second baseman's recent slump has him down to a .257/.319/.503 slash line with 23 homers, 69 RBI, 58 runs scored and seven stolen bases through 98 games this season.

Lux (knee) said Saturday that he'll be able to start running on the field at the end of next week and that he could start hitting off a tee in early August, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Lux is recovering from a torn ACL and LCL suffered early in spring training. He began running on a treadmill in late June and is now nearing on-field running. Though this is a sign that he's making good progress, Lux is not expected to return this season. However, there's a strong chance that he'll be fully recovered by spring training next year.

The Cardinals optioned Fermin to Triple-A Memphis on Sunday.

He'll cede his spot on the 26-man active roster to infielder Taylor Motter, whose contract was selected from Memphis in a corresponding move. After receiving the promotion to the majors July 7, Fermin appeared in five games (four starts) and went 1-for-11 with a walk and a run scored.

The Cardinals selected Motter's contract from Triple-A Memphis on Sunday. He'll start at second base and bat eighth in the Cardinals' series finale with the Cubs.

The addition of Motter gives the Cardinals some short-term insurance in the middle infield while Nolan Gorman is day-to-day with back tightness. St. Louis optioned infielder Jose Fermin to Memphis to clear a spot on the 26-man active roster for Motter, who hit .200 over 20 at-bats with the Cardinals earlier this season.

Gorman is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cubs due to back pain, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Manager Oliver Marmol indicated the back issue isn't a serious concern, though Gorman could still be held out of the lineup for a couple days. Taylor Motter will man second base while Brendan Donovan bats leadoff as the designated hitter for Sunday's series finale in Chicago.

Gorman went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Cubs.

Gorman has come out of the All-Star break hot, going 11-for-30 (.367) with three homers and 10 RBI over his last nine games. He's picked up more playing time at second base lately with Brendan Donovan (arm) limited to designated hitter. Gorman has 20 homers, 62 RBI, 43 runs scored, five stolen bases, 15 doubles and a .243/.325/.489 slash line through a career-high 90 contests overall.

Castro is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

The lefty-hitting Castro will retreat to the bench while southpaw Jesus Luzardo takes the hill for Miami. The Rockies will turn to Alan Trejo to fill in for Castro at second base.