MLB Player News

Semien went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, a walk and three total runs Wednesday in an 11-1 rout of the White Sox.

Semien began a big offensive day for the Rangers with a leadoff single in the first inning, and he subsequently came around to score on Corey Seager's two-run blast. Semien crossed home plate twice more in the rout, including on his own two-run homer in the sixth inning. The second baseman ranks third in the majors with 86 runs scored on the campaign, and he should continue to thrive in that area while batting leadoff for one of the league's top offenses. Semien has added a .278/.346/.454 slash line, 16 homers, 27 doubles, 68 RBI and nine thefts through 108 contests in an all-around solid season.

Rosario went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 10-1 win over the Athletics.

Rosario has gone 5-for-13 (.385) over four games since he joined the Dodgers in a trade from Cleveland. He made his second straight start at second base in the contest, and his three starts as a Dodger have all come against southpaws. It appears the team prefers to keep Miguel Rojas at shortstop, leaving Rosario to compete with Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez for the leftover time at second base behind Mookie Betts. Rosario has a .269/.310/.379 slash line with four homers, 43 RBI, 53 runs scored and nine stolen bases through 98 contests this season.

McNeil went 3-for-5 in Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Royals.

McNeil hit leadoff for the second game in a row with Brandon Nimmo (quadriceps) sidelined again. Since the start of July, McNeil is batting just .247 (24-for-97) over 25 contests, slightly lower than his .256 mark for the season. The second baseman has added a paltry .661 OPS with three home runs, 34 RBI, 46 runs scored and five stolen bases across 106 games.

Kemp was removed from Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Kemp made an incredible effort in a failed attempt to catch a foul ball during the sixth inning, jumping over the wall in the process. Cody Thomas later came in to pinch hit for Kemp, so it's possible the 31-year-old injured himself, or the Athletics opted to sub in their bench players during a lopsided contest. If Kemp turns out to be hurt, the A's should provide an update on his status.

Kim went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's 11-1 victory over the Rockies.

Kim led off Wednesday's contest with a solo homer off Kyle Freeland, his 15th of the year. The 27-year-old Kim is now 4-for-8 to start August after batting .337 (30-for-89) with five home runs and a .999 OPS across 24 games in July. Kim has certainly embraced the leadoff role in San Diego -- his slash line is up to .284/.380/.838 with 60 runs scored, 41 RBI and 22 stolen bases through 406 plate appearances this season.

Short went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI in Wednesday's win over the Pirates. He also stole a base.

Short didn't enter the contest until the fourth inning, when he pinch hit for Akil Baddoo. He wasted no time making an impact, driving in two on a single in his first at-bat. Short still profiles as more of a utility player at this point who can't be counted on for a consistent fantasy impact, which is reflected in his .673 OPS across 72 games.

The Mets selected Arauz's contract from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

Arauz is starting at second base and batting seventh Wednesday against the Royals in what will be his first major-league game of the year. He had slashed .244/.344/.429 with 14 home runs and two stolen bases through 95 games this summer at the Triple-A level.

Frazier is absent from the lineup Wednesday versus the Blue Jays.

Baltimore will roll with a righty-heavy attack against Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Jordan Westburg is playing second base and batting sixth.

The Nationals optioned Garcia to Triple-A Rochester following Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Brewers, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Garcia, who was on the bench Wednesday but entered the contest late as a pinch hitter, will head back to the minors after going 12-for-61 (.197 average) while drawing just two walks in 18 games since the All-Star break. The Nationals haven't announced an immediate replacement for Garcia, but among players currently on the 26-man active roster, Ildemaro Vargas or Michael Chavis could be first in line to fill in for him at the keystone.

Gorman (back) will start at second base and bat third Wednesday against the Twins.

Gorman was on the bench for the Cardinals' last two games due to back soreness, but he'll be healthy enough to play the field Wednesday. The 23-year-old has made 26 of his starts this season as a designated hitter, but he'll likely see the overwhelming majority of his playing time at second base moving forward with Brendan Donovan (elbow) set to undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday.