MLB Player News

Lowe isn't in the Rays' lineup Thursday against Philadelphia.

Lowe is 3-for-7 with two RBI in two games since returning from the injured list Tuesday. He'll get a breather Thursday while Taylor Walls starts at second base and bats ninth.

Frazier is starting in left field Thursday against the Yankees, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Aaron Hicks was a late scratch from Baltimore's lineup, so Frazier will start in left field and bat eighth in Hicks' place. Frazier is 2-for-12 with a homer and three RBI since the beginning of July.

Marte (back) is starting at second base and batting second Thursday versus the Mets.

Marte has been bothered by lower-back discomfort over the last couple of days, but he appeared off the bench in the Diamondbacks' loss to the Mets on Wednesday and will return in full for Thursday's series finale. The 29-year-old boasts a .284/.364/.500 batting line with 15 homers, 44 RBI, six steals and 61 runs scored through 80 games this season.

Altuve said that MRI results showed a "minor" issue with his left oblique Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve also noted that the results were better than he was expecting. While he didn't comment on a specific return timeline, he expressed optimism about potential being activated shortly after the All-Star break. The 33-year-old second baseman tweaked his left oblique during batting practice Tuesday and will be eligible to be reinstated July 14.

Massey isn't in the Royals' lineup Thursday against Cleveland.

Massey has gone 1-for-6 with two strikeouts in two games since returning from the injured list, and he'll get a breather Thursday. Nicky Lopez will fill in at second base and bat ninth.

Hensley was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Hensley managed just a .403 OPS in 26 games earlier this season with the Astros and wasn't great at Sugar Land, either, with a .700 OPS. However, Houston needs some infield protection with Jose Altuve (oblique) going down, which Hensley will provide.

The Astros placed Altuve on the 10-day injured list Thursday with left oblique discomfort.

After tweaking his oblique during batting practice Tuesday, Altuve will officially be sidelined through the All-Star break. The move is retroactive to July 4, so Altuve will be eligible to return as soon as the break is over. Mauricio Dubon will presumably handle second base while Altuve is out, and David Hensley was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to fill Altuve's roster spot.

Frazier isn't in the Orioles' lineup Thursday against the Yankees.

Frazier is 2-for-9 with a homer and three RBI during Baltimore's current series against New York, and he'll get a breather for Thursday's finale. Jordan Westburg will slide to second base in Frazier's absence, allowing Ramon Urias to start at third and bat ninth.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Thursday that Estrada (hand) is expected to be sidelined for the next 4-to-6 weeks, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

That timeline will be extended if Estrada requires surgery, but for now he's just in rest-and-treatment mode. The dynamic 27-year-old suffered a fracture in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch Sunday against the Mets, and the Giants officially placed him on the injured list Monday. Casey Schmitt should continue to draw most of the starts at second base in Estrada's absence.

Merrifield isn't in the Blue Jays' lineup for Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

Merrifield broke out of his slump at the plate Tuesday -- going 2-for-4 with two RBI -- and he'll get a breather during Toronto's first game Thursday. Cavan Biggio will fill in at the keystone and bat seventh.