MLB Player News

Marte has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his back and will be shut down for the rest of the season, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Marte was removed from Tuesday's matchup due to a stiff back, and the team announced prior to Friday's clash that the outfielder is done for the year. He won't require surgery and is expected to be ready to roll for the start of spring training, per Piecoro. Jarrod Dyson figures to see time in center field against right-handers while Tim Locastro slots in against lefties with Marte out of commission.

Marte (back) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Padres.

Marte was held out of Wednesday's game after leaving Tuesday's contest with a stiff back, and he will miss another game Friday despite the Diamondbacks coming off a team off day. It's not yet clear how long Marte will be sidelined, but with Arizona's playoff hopes fading, there is little incentive for the club to risk Marte's long-term health.

Lowe (quad) will play in an instructional game Saturday and be evaluated afterward, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe can't be sent on a rehab assignment with the minor-league season over, but he is at the point in his recovery where he is participating in game-like scenarios. Manager Kevin Cash said earlier in the week that Lowe was not ready to run at full speed just yet, but if he is able to clear that hurdle Saturday, it seems there's a chance he could return to the lineup before the regular season comes to a close.

Torres is not in Thursday's lineup against the Angels, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

He is hitting .286/.311/.625 with five home runs and one steal in 14 games this month. DJ LeMahieu will start at second base while Gio Urshela starts at third base.

Chavis (oblique) is not responding well to baseball activity and could be shut down for the season, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Given that there are just 11 games left on the schedule and Chavis is not responding well to increased physical tests, it seems highly unlikely that we will see him again in 2019. He's hit .254/.322/.444 with 18 home runs, two steals and a 33.2 percent strikeout rate in 95 games as a rookie.

Frazier is not in Thursday's lineup against the Mariners.

He is hitting .340/.397/.585 with two home runs in 16 games this month. Kevin Newman starts at second base while Cole Tucker gets the start at shortstop.

Dubon went 1-for-5 with a pair of RBI in Wednesday's 11-3 win over Boston.

Dubon's single with the bases loaded put the finishing touches on a five-run ninth inning for the Giants. It was the 24-year-old's eighth RBI through 20 contests, but he will find it hard to drive in runs while stuck batting eighth in the order. Dubon does have three homers and two steals through 69 plate appearances, and that power/speed combo keeps the middle infielder relevant in deeper formats even with the unfavorable lineup placement.

Forythe (ribs) could be placed on the 60-day injured list as a maneuver to create room on the 40-man roster, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Forsythe, who hasn't played in 10 days, becomes on option as the Rangers consider alternatives that would allow them to add catcher Tim Federowicz for the final days of the season. With Jeff Mathis (back) still unavailable, Federowicz would provide roster flexibility for manager Chris Woodward.

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Rangers.

Altuve's seventh-inning blast gave Houston a two-run cushion it would need to close out the Rangers, who plated a run the following frame. The home run was Altuve's fourth in the last eight games and gives him 29 for the season.

Marte believes the added running that comes with playing center field has been a contributor to his current back discomfort, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

At first, Marte talked about how the new artificial turf at Chase Field "took a toll on me," echoing similar comments earlier this season from fellow outfielders Adam Jones and David Peralta. When reporters pressed on with follow-up inquiries, Marte walked back the comments, instead saying the increased running that comes with playing the outfield for the first time in his career was a possible source of back pain. "I feel like next year, when I'm more used to playing center and I have all that experience under my belt, then my body will be more conditioned to play the outfield," he said. Marte has started 92 games in center field in 2019.