MLB Player News

Merrifield went 4-for-5 with a triple, a home run, three runs scored, five RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 12-2 rout of the Astros.

The big blow was his seventh-inning grand slam off Framber Valdez, at which point Merrifield probably regretted not trying to stretch one of his earlier singles into a double to give him a cycle. The 30-year-old is having another outstanding campaign, slashing .299/.351/.545 through 37 games with six homers, seven steals, 19 RBI and 30 runs.

Lowe went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double and two RBI in Tuesday's 6-3 win over Arizona.

Lowe extended his hit streak to 11 games and has a 1.019 OPS over 44 at-bats in that stretch. The 24-year-old is slashing .311/.366/.597 with eight home runs and 22 RBI, though his 31.3 percent strikeout rate and unsustainable .408 BABIP suggest he's due for some regression.

Hernandez is leading off and playing center field against the Braves on Tuesday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Hernandez returns to the top of the order against left-hander Max Fried after he made way for Joc Pederson in Monday's game. The 27-year-old is slashing .250/.328/.466 through 116 at-bats this season.

Solarte was designated for assignment Tuesday, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Solarte struggled at the dish through 28 games in the big leagues, batting .205 with a homer and seven RBI. Pat Venditte was also designated for assignment, opening up roster spots for Mac Williamson and Donovan Solano.

Rengifo was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels activated Zack Cozart (neck), Cody Allen (back) and Shohei Ohtani (elbow) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, resulting in a flurry of corresponding moves. Rengifo struggled to a .185 average with three extra-base hits and an RBI over nine games, so he'll head back to the minor leagues.

Polanco went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a double, a walk and two runs Monday in the Twins' 8-0 win over the Blue Jays.

After going 0-for-12 over the weekend against the Yankees, Polanco bounced back in swift fashion as the Twins continued their road trip in Toronto. The shortstop is slashing .317/.388/.610 with six home runs, 12 RBI and 20 runs in 32 games but has yet to notch a stolen base.

Rosario isn't starting Monday's game against the Padres.

Rosario will receive the day off after collecting six hits over his last five games, including two extra-base hits and an RBI. Adeiny Hechavarria is starting at shortstop and batting seventh with Rosario out of the mix.

Hernandez isn't starting Monday's game against the Braves, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Hernandez will get the day off after failing to record a base knock in each of his past two contests (0-for-9). Chris Taylor is starting at the keystone and will bat sixth in Hernandez's stead.

Torres is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners.

He'll get a day off for the first time since April 21, ending a productive stretch of 12 consecutive starts during which he hit .300 with a home run and three steals. Torres has helped keep the Yankees afloat while the lineup has missed several regulars due to injury, and his outlook should improve with Clint Frazier (ankle) returning Monday and Aaron Hicks (back) due back as soon as the weekend.

Estrada is in the lineup, hitting eighth and playing shortstop against the Mariners on Monday.

Estrada has made just one pinch-hit appearance over the past four games, but he'll slide into the lineup for this contest against Mariners starter Felix Hernandez. He's recorded hits in six of his 18 at-bats since his promotion from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, however, with DJ LaMahieu and Miguel Andujar both recently returning from injuries, Estrada could find regular playing time hard to come by.