MLB Player News

Ibanez started at second base and went 0-for-2 with two walks in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Ibanez has started at second base for all four games since Nick Solak was sent down to the minors. Texas manager Chris Woodward said over the weekend that he wasn't referring to Ibanez as the team's regular second baseman, but it looks like he's filling that role for the moment.

Rojas (finger) has experienced increased range of motion and better grip strength, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Rojas is close to having a bat in his hand and taking swings. The utility infielder/outfielder landed on the injured list with a dislocation of his left pinkie finger retroactive to July 22, putting him in line to be activated early next week.

Marte (hamstring) went 0-for-2 with a walk for the Arizona Complex League D-backs on Tuesday.

Marte, who has been on the injured list since June 27, initiated a rehab assignment Tuesday, playing five innings in center field and getting three plate appearances. He had been scheduled to begin the assignment Monday, but instead he got seven at-bats in a "B" game at the team's training complex. It's unclear how many at-bats the club wants Marte to get while on assignment.

Rodgers went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, three total runs and a walk in Tuesday's 12-3 drubbing of the Angels.

Rodgers was one of five Rockies with multiple hits in the contest, and his third-inning solo homer to center field helped Colorado get off to a fast start. The 24-year-old has gone deep in each of his past two games following a 15-game stretch without a long ball and with only one RBI from July 2 through July 25. Rodgers entered the 2021 campaign with no career homers across 97 at-bats, so his seven blasts in 165 at-bats this season represents some growth.

Altuve went 3-for-5 with a double and a run in Tuesday's 8-6 triumph against the Mariners.

Altuve singled and scored in the first, doubled in the fourth and singled in the eighth for his first three-hit game since April 26. The two-bagger was his 13th of the season, and with 23 home runs this would be the second time in three years the former MVP finishes with more homers than doubles if the trend continues.

Kemp is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Padres, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Kemp enters Tuesday will seven hits in his last 19 at-bats, but the versatile 29-year-old will sit against right-hander Chris Paddack to start the series. Jed Lowrie will man the keystone as Mark Canha, Ramon Laureano and Seth Brown start in the outfield from left to right.

Hoerner is batting seventh and playing shortstop Tuesday against the Reds.

He was initially slated for a day off, but Javier Baez (heel) was scratched from the lineup, necessitating Hoerner's addition to the starting nine. If Baez is forced to miss any more time, Hoerner would likely get the majority of the playing time at shortstop.

Hoerner is on the bench for Tuesday's game against the Reds.

Hoerner went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI on Monday, raising his average to .226 in 10 games since the All-Star break. He's driven in four runs during that span. David Bote will start at second base and bat seventh Tuesday.

Mayfield went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Monday's 6-2 win over the Rockies.

He broke open a tight contest by taking German Marquez deep in the seventh inning, giving the Angels a 4-1 lead. Mayfield is thriving with regular playing time, slashing .333/.385/.917 over his last eight games with all four of his homers on the season. Anthony Rendon is making slow progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury, so Mayfield should remain the starter at third base for at least another couple weeks, and his recent power display does have a precedent -- he launched 26 homers in 100 games at Triple-A Round Rock in 2019.

Rodgers went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Angels.

The 24-year-old took Jose Quintana deep in the eighth inning to cap the scoring for the Rockies. Rodgers hadn't gone yard since July 1, slashing a sorry .204/.220/.286 over his 15-game power drought, but he's still batting .263 with six homers and 21 RBI through 48 contests on the season.