MLB Player News

Altuve is out of the starting lineup Sunday versus the Yankees, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Altuve started the previous nine contests, but the veteran second baseman had just two hits over his past 20 at-bats, so he'll get a chance to recharge. Braden Shewmake is starting at second base for Houston in Altuve's stead Sunday.

Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

It's the second straight contest on the bench for Smith, who saw a nine-game hit streak end Saturday when he struck out as a pinch hitter. The 30-year-old batted .364 (12-for-33) with two doubles, two homers and nine RBI during that stretch. Each of his past two absences have come versus right-handed starting pitchers as Atlanta prioritizes keeping Michael Harris' bat in the lineup at DH while he deals with a minor quad strain. The pending return of Sean Murphy (hip) from the IL presents a bigger obstacle to Smith's playing time in the long run.

The Athletics activated Rooker (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Sunday.

Rooker landed on the injured list April 10 and ended up missing just over two weeks of playing time. He had been struggling prior to going down, slashing just .146/.245/.293 with two homers, eight RBI and two stolen bases over his first 12 games. Rooker will look to convert his time off into a fresh start as he aims to hit the 30-homer mark for a third straight season.

The Nationals placed Beeter on the 15-day injured list Sunday, retroactive to April 23, due to right forearm soreness.

It's unclear when exactly the right-hander suffered the injury, but he hasn't seen the field since firing a scoreless frame against Atlanta last Tuesday. Beeter and Gus Varland lead the Nationals with two saves each, so Varland is likely to be the primary option at closer while Beeter is sidelined.

DeLauter is not in Cleveland's starting lineup against Toronto on Sunday.

DeLauter started the previous five contests and collected four RBI while going 4-for-20, but he'll hit the bench against lefty Patrick Corbin. David Fry is making a start in right field in DeLauter's stead Sunday.

Kwan (neck) is leading off and starting in center field Sunday versus the Blue Jays.

Kwan didn't start Friday and was then a late scratch Saturday due to nick stiffness. However, the issue seems to have been minor given the outfielder's return one day later. Kwan will look to get back on track at the plate after going 2-for-18 over his previous seven contests.

Alvarez is out of the lineup for the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Rockies.

Alvarez was never likely to be behind the plate for both games of Sunday's twin bill, and he'll sit for the matinee after a run of four straight starts. Luis Torrens is doing the catching for Nolan McLean in the opener.

The Reds optioned Higgins to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

The 32-year-old has been up in the big leagues the past few weeks, but he'll return to Triple-A with Jose Trevino (back) coming off the IL on Sunday. Higgins played six games and went 2-for-10 with one walk and one RBI.

Pinango is starting in left field and batting seventh against Cleveland on Sunday.

Pinango got off to a nice start with Triple-A Buffalo this season, posting an .858 OPS with three homers, 13 RBI and two stolen bases over his first 22 games. He was summoned to the big-league club for the first time Saturday after Nathan Lukes (hamstring) was placed on the injured list. Pinango will get his first chance to show off his skill set with the Blue Jays against Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi.

Torkelson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 9-2 loss to the Reds.

Torkelson extended his home-run streak to four games, which is the slugger's longest at the MLB level. He last went deep in four straight games during his sophomore season at Arizona State in 2019, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports. This is also the first time any Detroit player has accomplished the feat since Ian Kinsler in 2016. Torkelson's surge has quieted some concerns over his slow start, as he didn't go deep once in the first 23 games of the year.