MLB Player News

Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two strikeouts in Wednesday's loss to the Rays.

Merrifield got the Royals on the board in the fourth inning with the solo shot, his ninth of the season. The 29-year-old is working on an 11-game hitting streak, going 16-for-43 (.372) with a couple of homers and seven RBI in that stretch. Kansas City ranks dead last in runs per game, so there won't be many run-scoring or producing opportunities for Merrifield, but he's more than holding his own with a .302 average and 27 steals.

Marte is not in the lineup against the Angels on Wednesday.

Marte will take a seat for the finale of a two-game set after starting the past 12 games. Daniel Descalso will man the keystone and bat fifth.

Rosario is not in the lineup versus San Francisco on Wednesday.

Rosario will receive a breather following seven straight starts, including an 0-for-4 showing during Tuesday's victory. In his place, Jack Reinheimer will draw a start at shortstop. Expect to see Rosario back in the lineup Thursday.

Motter was cut loose by the Twins on Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Motter was designated for assignment a month ago after failing to impress with the big-league club, going just 1-for-19 in nine games. Across his past 14 outings for Triple-A Rochester, he's slashed just .118/.207/.275 with three RBI. He will look to latch on with another organization, though it's unlikely that he will make much of an impact at the major-league level.

Solarte (oblique) will be re-evaluated this week and hopes to receive clearance to begin throwing, Jenn Smith of Sporting News reports.

Solarte recently started up a core-strengthening program as he works his way back from a right oblique injury. The infielder said that his oblique has responded well to the exercises, so he's hopeful that he'll be able to resume baseball activities in the coming days. He'll likely require a minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated from the 10-day disabled list and seems to be trending toward a September return.

Altuve went 0-for-3 with a walk in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Seattle.

Altuve returned to the lineup after missing 21 games due to a knee injury.

Polanco went 1-for-5 with two RBI in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Polanco slashed a two-run single in the ninth inning off Jace Fry to extend the Twins' lead. Polanco is hitting .246 with two homers and 13 RBI over his last 15 games, and his season slash line stands at .272/.333/.396 across 44 games for the season.

A bone scan revealed Drury's fractured left hand is healing well, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

Drury was able to transition to a removable splint. He's set to undergo follow-up imaging in another 10 days, after which a more concrete timetable for his return will hopefully emerge. The 26-year-old has been on the disabled list since Aug. 7.

Altuve (knee) was activated from the disabled list Tuesday.

As expected, Altuve is back with the Astros after missing a little more than three weeks with a knee injury. The reigning AL MVP, who is hitting .329/.392/.464 with nine homers and 14 stolen bases this season, will face right-hander Mike Leake in his first game back. Kyle Tucker was optioned to Triple-A Fresno to free up a roster spot for Altuve.

Semien went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and two runs in a win over the Rangers on Monday.

The 27-year-old shortstop has now reached safely in nine straight contests, generating a quartet of multi-hit efforts over that stretch. Semien has also broken out of an extended power drought, smacking three home runs in that span after not leaving the yard in 43 games between June 19 and Aug. 10.