MLB Player News

Norby is absent from the lineup for Friday's game versus the Phillies.

Norby had started each of the previous six tilts but will get a breather in Friday's series opener. Christopher Morel will hold down first base for the Marlins.

Hoerner was removed from Friday's game against the Diamondbacks due to left-sided neck tightness, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

The 28-year-old doubled and scored during the opening frame but was replaced by a pinch hitter during the second inning. The severity of the injury isn't clear, but the Cubs could offer some more information after Friday's contest. Hoerner should be considered day-to-day for now.

Hoerner was removed from Friday's game versus the Diamondbacks in the second inning with neck tightness, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Hoerner doubled and scored in the bottom of the first inning but was then pulled from the game when his spot in the order came up again in the second. It sounds like a day-to-day issue, but Hoerner's status shome become clearer after the contest.

Marte is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs.

It's a rare day off for Marte, who had made 12 consecutive starts. Ildemaro Vargas will cover second base Friday, while Jose Fernandez will play first base and Adrian Del Castillo will slot in at designated hitter.

Lowe went 2-for-5 with a solo home run Thursday against the Cardinals.

Lowe briefly pulled the Pirates to within one run in the seventh inning with his eighth home run of the season. That marked his first long ball since April 14, a span of 11 starts. After a hot start to the campaign, Lowe is hitting only .235 with one home run, five RBI and five runs scored across his last 12 games.

Altuve isn't in the lineup for the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against Baltimore, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

After going 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored during Game 1, Altuve will catch a breather during the nightcap while Brice Matthews starts at the keystone. Daniel Johnson will fill the resulting void in center field and bat eighth.

The Mets claimed Ibanez off waivers from the Athletics on Thursday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

The A's designated Ibanez for assignment Sunday, but he'll reclaim a 40-man roster spot by moving to the Mets. He'll fill in as a depth piece in New York, though he isn't likely to see many opportunities after posting a .285 OPS in 18 plate appearances with the Athletics.

McNeil is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

With lefty Noah Cameron on the mound for the Royals, McNeil will take a seat, as Zack Gelof makes the start at second base and bats eighth. McNeil has gone just 3-for-15 against left-handed pitching this season but is slashing .307/.361/.413 against righties.

Black will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in Thursday's game versus the Diamondbacks.

With Christian Yelich (groin) still out, the left-handed-hitting Black is settling in as the Brewers' primary DH against right-handers, having now made four starts in five games in such situations. He's off to a nice start, going 5-for-14 with three RBI.

Marte went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Brewers.

Marte has gone 13-for-47 (.277) over his last 11 contests, logging four multi-hit efforts in that span. The second baseman has just two extra-base hits in that sample, but it's encouraging to see him make more steady contact after a slow start to the campaign. Marte is batting .239 with a .693 OPS, five homers, 11 RBI, 17 runs scored, three doubles and no stolen bases over 28 contests. It's worth monitoring to see if his power shows up more consistently as the season progresses, as he's hit at least 25 homers in three straight seasons.