MLB Player News

Villar went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Monday's 8-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Villar contributed a leadoff double in the second inning and an RBI single in the third for a moderately successful major-league debut. The 25-year-old's stay on the Giants' roster could be short -- he's up to serve as infield depth, but Brandon Crawford (knee) is close to a return from the 10-day injured list. Villar has slashed .284/.409/.633 with 21 home runs, 62 RBI, 53 runs scored and 15 doubles in 66 games for Triple-A Sacramento prior to his call-up, so there's reason to think Monday won't be the extent of his big-league contributions in 2022.

Kim is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mariners, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

After starting each of the past three games at shortstop and 17 straight games overall, Kim will get a much-needed breather for Tuesday's series finale. CJ Abrams will pick up the start at shortstop, but Kim appears set to handle regular duties at the position moving forward now that Manny Machado has taken back an everyday role at third base following a recent nine-game absence due to an ankle injury.

Andrus went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in a win over the Blue Jays on Monday.

The veteran shortstop plated Seth Brown and Sean Murphy in the first inning with a two-bagger that extended the Athletics' lead to 3-0 at the time. Andrus has accumulated seven RBI over his last five games, a span during which he's gone 4-for-7 with two doubles with runners in scoring position.

Drury went 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run in Monday's 7-4 loss to the Mets.

The veteran utility player took Taijuan Walker deep in the third inning to tie the score at 3-3, but the Reds' offense didn't do much after that. Drury has established a new career high with 17 homers this season in only 69 games, and his .270/.331/.533 slash line should keep him locked into an everyday role for Cincinnati, barring a trade to a contender before the deadline.

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base in Monday's 7-6 loss to the Astros.

The 33-year-old continues to look spry on the basepaths. Over his last 16 games, Merrifield is 7-for-8 on steal attempts while slashing .290/.397/.371 with five doubles, six RBI and 11 runs. His power numbers have taken a step backward this season, but with 14 stolen bases through 78 games, he's got a shot at his fourth career campaign with 30-plus pilfers.

Semien went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a second run scored and a stolen base in Monday's 7-6 extra-inning loss to Baltimore.

Semien's solo shot in the top of the ninth inning gave Texas a lead that closer Joe Barlow was unable to protect. The Rangers, who lead MLB with 66 stolen bases, have encouraged Semien to create havoc on the basepaths, and he's responded with 14 steals (16 attempts). That leaves Semien, who recorded double-digit steals in every season but the pandemic-shortened 2020, one shy of his career high set in 2021. Semien's deep slump to start 2022 appears to be a thing of the past; he's slashed .327/.373/.589 with eight homers, 16 RBI, six steals and 19 runs over the last 26 games.

Arraez went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, one RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 6-3 extra-inning win over the White Sox.

Arraez doubled twice early on and added an RBI single to spark a rally in the 10th inning. The 25-year-old continues to make consistent contact, as this was his seventh multi-hit effort in his last 11 games. He's gone 17-for-47 (.362) with six doubles and a triple in that span. For the season, the versatile defender owns a .348/.422/.453 slash line with four home runs, 28 RBI, 46 runs scored and two stolen bases in 303 plate appearances.

Lux is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Rockies.

The Dodgers are employing a righty-heavy lineup against Rockies starter Kyle Freeland, so Lux will open Monday's game on the bench. Mookie Betts will man the keystone and Chris Taylor will get the start in left field.

Stefanic went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in Sunday's loss to Houston.

Stefanic was called up early Sunday and was immediately slotted into the starting lineup as the team's second baseman. The 26-year-old didn't have a memorable debut, however, as he struck out in all three of his plate appearances. Contact hasn't been a major issue for Stefanic in his minor-league career -- in fact, he fanned only 12 times over 178 plate appearances with Triple-A Salt Lake this season. He's slated to play on a near-everyday basis, and it's reasonable to expect Sunday's strikeout-filled performance to be more of an aberration than his norm moving forward.

Rengifo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Astros.

Rengifo plated the game's first run with his solo shot to right field in the second inning. The long ball was his third in his past seven contests comprising of 25 at-bats. It also extended his modest hitting streak to four games, during which Rengifo is slashing .357/.357/.857 with two homers and three RBI.