MLB Player News

Merrifield went 1-for-5 with an RBI and his sixth stolen base of the season in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the White Sox.

Merrifield's season-long batting average (.204) barely sits over the Mendoza Line, but after a brutal first month, he's at least started to settle in nicely at the plate. His base hit Wednesday extended his hitting streak to a 10 games, with the 33-year-old having slashed .372/.391/.558 with two home runs, two doubles, three stolen bases, 10 runs and 10 RBI over that stretch. He's since recaptured the leadoff job for Kansas City and once again finds himself atop the lineup for Thursday's series finale.

Guillorme will start at second base and bat eighth in Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

Guillorme will close out the homestand with a second consecutive start and his third in four games, but he'll likely see his playing time take a hit when the Mets begin a three-game series in Colorado on Friday. Starling Marte (personal) is on track to be activated from the bereavement list Friday, and his return will result in Jeff McNeil moving from the outfield back to an everyday role at second base.

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against Boston.

Altuve led off the game with his eighth home run of the season, which was the only offense Houston mustered against Nick Pivetta. He's hit well since returning from a hamstring injury May 2, maintaining a .316 average with seven home runs, 10 RBI and 15 runs scored across 15 games. That stretch has helped him recover from a slow start, and he's now hitting .258/.343/.538 through 105 plate appearances on the season.

Marte said his sore left hand is feeling better, and he could play Thursday against the Cubs, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Marte sustained the injury during the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader while pinch hitting, and he was scratched for the nightcap and before sitting out Wednesday. Jake Hager replaced Marte at second base for both games.

Estrada went 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, a stolen base and a run scored Wednesday against the Rockies.

Estrada is fighting for continued playing time due to the return of Tommy La Stella (Achilles), and he's made a strong case by turning in multi-hit efforts in each of his last three starts. That has been aided by the hitting environment at Coors Field, though Estrada was only one of two Giants hitters to record multiple knocks Wednesday. Estrada also tallied his sixth stolen base of the campaign, and he has yet to be caught. Overall, Estrada maintains a .271/.306/.383 line with 20 RBI and 24 runs scored across 144 plate appearances.

Arraez went 3-for-5 with a walk, two doubles, a stolen base, four runs scored and two RBI on Wednesday against the Athletics.

Arraez turned in his third multi-hit game across his last seven starts. The highlight of his performance was his two extra-base hits, as he entered the game with only three doubles and a home run across 107 plate appearances on the campaign. Despite the lack of power, Arraez has a .425 on-base percentage and has regularly hit near the top of the Twins' order, so he should be a good source of runs.

Hernandez was recalled by the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Hernandez had been on Arizona's taxi squad recently, but he'll join the active roster as part of a move after Cooper Hummel (undisclosed) was placed on the injured list. Over nine games with the Diamondbacks this year, Hernandez has hit .125 with two runs and two stolen bases.

Gonzales went 3-for-4 with a homer and two doubles for Double-A Altoona on Tuesday, followed by two more hits Wednesday, but he's still hitting just .243/.363/.378 on the season.

It's been an awfully tough campaign to this point, but Gonzales seems to be getting right at the dish, as he now has a six-game hitting streak going. As of May 10, he was hitting .180/.324/.292, so he's certainly made significant strides recently. With a sky-high 34.1 percent strikeout rate, it's very clear what Gonzales needs to work on right now -- and he has made some progress on that front over the course of this streak. He'll likely need to do a lot more, though, before the Pirates see fit to promote him to Triple-A.

Estrada will start at second base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Rockies, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

With Tommy La Stella (Achilles) returning from the 10-day injured list earlier this week, the Giants were back at full strength in the infield for the first time all season. La Stella is eventually expected to settle in as the Giants' primary starter at second base against right-handed pitching, but since he was deployed as a designated hitter in his first two games back from the IL, Estrada has been able stick at the keystone throughout the series in Colorado. He'll look to stay hot in the series finale Wednesday after producing four hits, two RBI and a run between the first two contests at Coors Field.

Donovan went 2-for-5 with four walks, a stolen base and two runs scored across both games of Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Mets.

Donovan's plate discipline has taken a turn skyward lately, as he's walked nine times in the last seven games. The utility man has seen the bulk of his playing time at shortstop or third base -- he'll be part of the mix at the former position in competition with Edmundo Sosa as manager Oli Marmol evaluates his options for a starting role. Donovan is slashing a strong .323/.488/.548 with a home run, five RBI, nine runs scored, a steal and four doubles through his first 18 major-league games.