MLB Player News

Lopez will sit against lefty Martin Perez and the Rangers on Monday.

Lopez had close to an everyday role for much of the year, but it looks as though he's slipped into a platoon in recent weeks. His off day Monday means he's now been on the bench against the last five lefties the Royals have faced. Whit Merrifield will be the second baseman Monday, with Emmanuel Rivera starting at third.

Frazier entered Sunday's loss to the Angels as a pinch runner for Jesse Winker following the latter's ejection for a benches-clearing brawl and went 2-for-3 while also getting caught stealing on his only attempt.

Frazier originally had the day off before Winker helped ignite a wild brawl that resulted in eight ejections overall. Frazier took Winker's place at first base once play resumed following the second-inning melee, and he remained in left field while going on to produce his first multi-hit effort since June 7. The veteran had been mired in an extended funk that had seen him hit just .113 (6-for-53) since that game until Sunday, so perhaps the productive showing in emergency duty will ignite his bat.

Dubon went 1-for-4 with two RBI on Sunday against the Yankees.

Dubon got the start in left field with Yordan Alvarez out of the lineup Sunday. He delivered a two-RBI single in the fourth inning, and he now has at least one hit in four of his last five starts. Dubon maintained a roster spot over Chas McCormick and Jose Siri, and he should draw occasional starts in center field and at third base and shortstop. Across 105 plate appearances this season, Dubon has a .242/.279/.379 line.

Rojas batted leadoff and went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 11-7 win over Detroit.

This was the second straight game in the leadoff spot for Rojas, both against righties, as it appears manager Torey Lovullo is giving Daulton Varsho a break from that role. Since being hit on the right shoulder blade May 27, Varsho had gone 15-for-86 (.174) with a .428 OPS before delivering a pair of hits, including a three-run home run, Sunday. Rojas has experience as a leadoff batter -- a career 83 games started at the top of the order is his most of any spot in the order -- and has generally hit among the top three in the order since the middle of May. The infielder initially batted in the lower half of the order following a stay on the injured list that forced him to miss the first five weeks of the season.

Marte is taking groundballs and hitting during practice but is not yet up to full speed after missing time due to a hamstring injury, Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic reports.

Marte served as the designated hitter for a fifth consecutive game Sunday. The Diamondbacks are being careful with their starting second baseman, who's had a history over hamstring injuries. The team is off Monday, so the next chance for Marte to take the field is Tuesday against the Padres.

Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a steal in Sunday's loss against the Athletics.

Merrifield was able to swipe second base off James Kaprielian in Sunday's matchup. It was his second stolen base of the week, his third of the month and his tenth of the year. The second baseman also picked up a hit in the game, his fifth in six games. Despite possessing a .227 season batting average, Merrifield is slashing .250/.317/.293 in June.

Drury went 2-for-5 with an RBI triple and a run scored in a 10-3 win over the Giants on Sunday.

Drury opened the offensive floodgates in the third inning with a triple off Anthony DeSclafani, his first of the season. The 29-year-old third baseman has a six-game hitting streak going and is on pace for a career year. According to Fangraphs, Drury has already accumulated a 1.8 WAR this year to tie his career-best season-long total from 2018. Drury's offensive production has been a pleasant surprise for a player with numerous seasons below replacement-level value.

Donovan went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a triple, a walk and two runs scored in a 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Cubs on Sunday.

Donovan helped the Cardinals get to innings-eater Alec Mills early and often. He hit his first career triple in the bottom of the first before coming in to score a run on a Nolan Arenado single. He then led off the third with the first of three Cardinals solo home runs in the inning. The rookie left-handed bat has bounced around the Cardinals lineup so far this year, but with an elite .426 OBP it wouldn't be a surprise to see him continue to hit out of the two hole like he did Sunday.

Gimenez went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in Sunday's 8-3 loss to the Red Sox.

Gimenez has three multi-hit efforts during his seven-game hitting streak. He's gone 11-for-27 (.407) during the surge, though he has only two extra-base hits in that span. Overall, the infielder is slashing .318/.359/.513 with eight home runs, 35 RBI, 24 runs scored and six stolen bases across 59 contests. His strong play has made him the Guardians' starting second baseman.

Aruaz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox.

Arauz played in both of the Orioles' games this weekend, though he went hitless Saturday. He picked up his first hit of the season with a third-inning solo shot, then added an RBI single as the Orioles put together a rally in the ninth that fell one run short. Arauz is slashing only .111/.105/.278 with three RBI and two runs scored in 20 plate appearances between the Red Sox and the Orioles, and he'll likely be a utility infielder at best once Rougned Odor (back) returns to the starting nine.