MLB Player News

Loftin will start at second base and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Padres.

Loftin was excluded from the lineup in the Royals' first two games following his call-up from Triple-A Omaha last Sunday, but he's now getting his fifth start in six games Sunday. Four of those starts have come at second base, and he looks like he could be the preferred option at the position over Adam Frazier until Michael Massey (back) returns from the injured list.

Monasterio was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the White Sox.

The 27-year-old was scheduled to bat ninth as the designated hitter, but William Contreras and Willy Adames were late additions to the lineup after initially being scheduled for days off. Monasterio should continue to operate as a bench bat while seeing some stars against left-handed pitching.

Gimenez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals.

Gimenez took a seat Saturday against southpaw Mitchell Parker, but the lefty-hitting infielder will remain on the bench for the series finale versus the Nationals even while a right-hander (Jake Irvin) takes the bump for Washington. The Guardians may have just been looking to get an extended break for Gimenez, who had started in every game dating back to May 10 before his back-to-back absences. Daniel Schneemann was called up from Triple-A Columbus earlier Sunday and will pick up his first MLB start in place of Gimenez at the keystone.

Lowe is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe will hit the bench along with fellow left-handed hitters Jonathan Aranda, Ben Rortvedt and Richie Palacios as the Rays roll with a full right-handed-hitting lineup versus Orioles southpaw Cole Irvin. Amed Rosario will fill in for Lowe at second base.

Altuve is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Altuve is on the bench for just the second time all season and the first time since May 12 in what looks to be nothing more than a routine maintenance day. Mauricio Dubon will step in at second base for Altuve, who is currently in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak.

Farmer is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.

Farmer started at second base in Saturday's 5-2 loss, but he'll be back on the bench for the series finale. While Minnesota is at full strength in the infield save for Royce Lewis (quadricep), Farmer will likely be relegated to a short-side platoon role at second base with the lefty-hitting Edouard Julien, who is back in the lineup Sunday.

Pittsburgh placed Williams on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a right wrist sprain.

The Pirates recalled right-hander Quinn Priester from Triple-A Indianapolis to replace Williams on the active roster ahead of Priester's scheduled start Sunday in Toronto. Williams had largely served as a short-side platoon player in the infield for Pittsburgh following his call-up from Indianapolis on May 11.

The Red Sox placed Grissom (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list Sunday.

Though the right hamstring strain that forced Grissom out of Saturday's 6-3 win over the Tigers is considered mild, he'll still need at least a week and a half to make a full recovery from the injury before rejoining Boston's 26-man active roster. The Red Sox selected the contract of Jamie Westbrook from Triple-A Worcester to bolster the team's depth in the middle infield in the short term, but Enmanuel Valdez and David Hamilton may be more likely options to pick up starts at second base while Grissom is on the mend.

Valdez went 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Tigers.

Getting the start at DH and batting fifth, Valdez tormented Matt Olson and took him deep in the second and sixth innings, adding a two-bagger in between for good measure. It was the 25-year-old infielder's first start since being called back up from Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, but with Vaughn Grissom (hamstring) headed back to the IL after leaving Saturday's game early, the path is clear for Valdez to see regular action at second base for at least the next couple weeks, perhaps on the strong side of a platoon with Romy Gonzalez. Valdez is batting just .179 (17-for-95) in the majors this year, but he's having a breakout season in the power department, slugging four homers in 31 games for Boston and adding six in 20 games for Worcester.

Estrada is considered day-to-day after jamming his thumb during Friday's game against the Yankees, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Saturday's absence from the lineup is more than just a day off for the second baseman, who suffered a minor thumb injury in the series opener against New York. Estrada was deemed day-to-day and won't have the benefit of a team-wide rest day until Thursday. If Estrada is forced to miss more time, Brett Wisely would likely fill the gap at second.