MLB Player News

Ibanez is absent from the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Angels.

Ibanez had started seven of the last nine at second base, but he'll yield to Zack Short for this one. He figures to be in the lineup for the second contest.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Dodgers.

His three-run shot off Tony Gonsolin in the fifth inning put the game out of reach and all but wrapped up a series win for the Blue Jays. Merrifield is putting the finishing touches on a huge July, slashing .352/.377/.592 through 19 games with five of his seven homers on the season to go along with two steals, 14 runs and 16 RBI.

Albies went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's loss to the Red Sox.

Albies accounted for all of Atlanta's run production in the contest, launching a three-run shot off Boston starter Brayan Bello in the sixth inning. It was his second long ball in his past three contests following a 12-contest homerless drought between July 5 and July 22. Albies is tied for 11th in MLB with 24 home runs and ranks eighth with 72 RBI on the campaign.

Kemp went 3-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Giants.

Kemp snapped an 0-for-11 skid with his strong performance in this contest. He also recorded his 12th steal of the season, six of which have come in July. The 31-year-old is slashing .212/.300/.301 with three home runs, 19 RBI, 31 runs scored, eight doubles and three triples over 83 contests. Kemp's retained a starting job in left field with Ramon Laureano back, which has pushed Seth Brown to fill in for Ryan Noda (jaw) as the strong-side platoon option at first base.

Hoerner went 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 10-7 win over the White Sox.

Hoerner has three multi-hit efforts and four stolen bases over his last four games. Wednesday's contest was his first in that span without an extra-base hit. The infielder continues to hit well, batting .280 on the year and .340 (17-for-50) since the All-Star break. He owns a .733 OPS, 25 steals, seven home runs, a career-high 57 RBI and 57 runs scored through 93 contests overall.

Altuve (oblique) went 0-for-3 in Wednesday's 13-5 loss to the Rangers.

Altuve played five innings at second base, though his removal was likely due to the Rangers leading by 10 runs to start the sixth. He went 9-for-27 in the seven games prior to his three-week stint on the injured list, but he may have rust to shake off after not having a rehab assignment. Altuve owns a .258/.363/.468 slash line with six home runs, 18 RBI, 25 runs scored and five stolen bases through 33 contests. He should be a near-everyday option at second base over utility man Mauricio Dubon.

Semien went 3-for-3 with a two-run home run and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's 13-5 win over the Astros.

Semien posted his third straight multi-hit effort, and he's swatted four homers since the All-Star break. Wednesday also saw him log multiple RBI for the first time since June 14. The second baseman is at a .280/.346/.457 slash line with 15 homers, 63 RBI, 83 runs scored and nine stolen bases through 103 contests.

The Dodgers agreed Wednesday to acquire Rosario from the Guardians in exchange for right-hander Noah Syndergaard (finger) and cash, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Rosenthal relays that a review of both players' medical records is all that stands in the way of the trade being finalized. After an 11-home run, 18-steal 2022 campaign in which he also hit .283, Rosario is slashing a disappointing .265/.306/.369 with just three long balls and nine steals in his final year before reaching free agency. He'll represent an upgrade over Miguel Rojas at shortstop against left-handed pitching, as he has an .822 OPS versus southpaws in 2023. Rojas could still play quite a bit against righties, however, given that he's regarded as the much stronger defender of the two players.

Dubon is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers.

Dubon had started at second base and served as Houston's leadoff hitter in 16 of the past 17 games, but he'll lose out on both roles after the Astros reinstated Jose Altuve (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Wednesday. With Altuve back in the fold, Dubon will likely transition back into a super-utility role that will may afford him only a handful of starts per week. Despite often occupying a prominent spot in the lineup since the beginning of July, Dubon is slashing a meager .202/.230/.274 so far this month.

Andrus is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

Andrus appeared to overtake Zach Remillard as Chicago's primary second baseman last week, but both players could be ticketed for utility roles moving forward. With Yoan Moncada returning from the injured list Tuesday and stepping back in as the White Sox's everyday third baseman, Jake Burger has now picked up consecutive starts at the keystone. Despite his defensive limitations at second base, Burger looks like he could settle in as the primary option at the position as the White Sox aim to keep his potent bat in the lineup.