MLB Player News

Espinal went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a walk in Friday's 5-2 extra-innings loss to the Mariners.

Espinal walked and stole second in the eighth inning, but he was left on base. The infielder has enjoyed a productive start to July, going 9-for-30 (.300) with two steals in eight games. He's up to five steals in seven attempts this year while maintaining a .274/.327/.405 slash line with six home runs, 37 RBI and 31 runs scored through 84 contests.

Hoerner went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Dodgers.

Hoerner hadn't homered since June 24, but he ended that two-week drought with a fifth-inning solo shot off Dodgers starter Tyler Anderson. In his last 18 games, Hoerner has gone 26-for-68 (.382) with two long balls, eight RBI, 10 runs scored and a stolen base. The hot hitting has earned him a near-everyday role at shortstop, and he's now batting .300/.337/.420 with five homers, 25 RBI, 25 runs scored and seven steals through 258 plate appearances.

Rojas went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, three RBI, a stolen base and a walk in Friday's 6-5 loss to the Rockies.

Rojas did all he could from the top of the order. He hit a solo shot in the first inning, knocked in a run with a sacrifice bunt in the fourth and added an RBI on a fielder's choice in the ninth. He continues to hit well in July -- the 28-year-old has gone 11-for-24 (.458) with two steals, five RBI, eight runs and six doubles in his last eight contests. For the season, the infielder has a .275/.343/.423 slash line with five homers, 23 RBI, 33 runs scored and seven steals through 53 games. His place in Arizona's lineup is fairly secure, as he hits leadoff versus righties and in the bottom half of the order versus southpaws.

Estrada (illness) went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Padres.

Estrada couldn't get anything going with the bat in his return from the COVID-19 injured list. He's now on an 0-for-11 skid across his last three games, though he's still likely to be the Giants' primary second baseman going forward. The 26-year-old has a .253/.308/.382 slash line with six home runs, 31 RBI, 40 runs scored and 11 stolen bases in 71 contests this year.

Villar went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Padres.

Villar got the Giants on the board with a fifth-inning solo shot, the only run they scored against Padres starter Blake Snell. Prior to Friday, Villar had gone 0-for-8 across three games since posting two hits in his debut Monday. The infielder has added seven strikeouts, two walks and a double through 18 plate appearances, and he could draw semi-consistent playing time while Evan Longoria (oblique) is on the injured list.

Kim (thumb) went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's 6-3 win over the Giants.

Kim was held out of Thursday's lineup with a thumb issue, but it was never a serious concern. He's already posted three multi-hit efforts through six games in July. That's lifted his slash line for the year to .236/.325/.357 with five home runs, 27 RBI, 33 runs scored and four stolen bases through 295 plate appearances.

Arroyo is dealing with a groin injury following Friday's loss to the Yankees but is expected to play through the issue Saturday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Arroyo went 1-for-4 with a strikeout Friday but was removed late in the blowout loss. He's apparently dealing with a groin issue, but the injury doesn't seem too significant since manager Alex Cora expects the 27-year-old to play Saturday. If Arroyo is ultimately available for Saturday's matchup, he's a strong candidate to start at third base since Rafael Devers (back) won't play.

Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 4-3 win over Cleveland.

Merrifield singled twice Friday before drilling a game-tying, two-run shot in the eighth inning. It was his fifth long ball of the year and second in his last three games. The 33-year-old entered July with an abysmal .228/.277/.311 slash line but he's gone 12-for-33 (.363) with five extra-base hits and nine runs scored in eight games this month.

Estrada (illness) was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Estrada missed nearly a week but will start Friday's matchup against the Padres. While it's not clear whether the 26-year-old ever tested positive for COVID-19, he should reclaim his job as the primary second baseman now that he's back with the team.

Miller was added to the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Miller was slated to take a seat Friday, but he'll step in at first base after Josh Naylor (back) was scratched from the lineup. Over Miller's last three games, he's gone 5-for-12 with three RBI and three strikeouts.