MLB Player News

Altuve went 4-for-4 with a triple, a home run, three runs scored, two RBI and two stolen bases in Saturday's 8-6 loss to Cleveland.

The homer was just his third of the year -- and Altuve's first since April 28 -- while the steals give him a paltry six through 53 games. It's been a relatively disappointing start to the season for the 2017 American League MVP, at least by his high standards, but Altuve seems locked in right now, hitting .390 (16-for-41) over his last 10 games with seven runs, nine RBI and four steals.

Altuve went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 11-2 win over the Indians.

The final score made the game look like a laugher, but the Astros trailed 2-0 entering the eighth inning and were in need of the spark that Altuve provided. With just two hits in his last 16 at-bats, Altuve faced tough lefty Andrew Miller and turned on a first-pitch slider, doubling down the left field line to plate two runners. By the lofty standards Altuve has set for himself, he's having a down year, but he's still hitting above .300 and very capable of delivering hits in key moments.

Solarte went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI in Toronto's 6-5 victory over Philadelphia on Friday.

Solarte had been in a bit of a slump after a hot start to the season, but he's picked it back up with five multi-hit games in his last six contests to bring his slash line up to .270/.332/.503 over 189 at-bats. He's also showcased impressive power so far this season, with 11 home runs in 48 games after he left the yard 18 times in 128 games with the Padres in 2017.

Torres went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's win over the Angels.

Make it four straight games with a homer for Torres, who is now up to nine home runs through 28 games with the big-league team (96 at-bats). He had never hit more than 11 homers in a season while on the farm, making this run all the more unbelievable. It's going to be tough for manager Aaron Boone to keep Torres in the nine hole for much longer.

Mathias (undisclosed) was reinstated from the 7-day disabled list Friday.

Mathias had been dealing with an undisclosed injury, but he's now able to resume trying to build off his .263/.366/.398 slash rate with one home run and 16 RBI over 34 games this season.

Kemp started in left field and went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Indians.

Kemp has started seven straight games since being called up from Triple-A Fresno and is hitting .389 (7-for-18) with two runs, six RBI and two steals during that run. Manager A.J. Hinch spoke to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle about his need to juggle a crowded outfield, but he's been giving Kemp regular duty while finding spots for Jake Marisnick, Marwin Gonzalez and, to a lesser extent, J.D. Davis when match-ups are beneficial.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and two RBI in Kanas City's 8-2 victory over the Rangers on Thursday.

Merrifield had gone hitless in his last 11 at-bats coming into the game but he snapped out of it with this multi-hit, two RBI performance. He got off to a bit of a slow start to the season but his numbers through 48 games are strong, as he's now got a .286/.358/.418 slash line and he's also contributed 12 steals so far this year after he swiped 34 in his breakout campaign in 2017.

Torres went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 12-10 loss to the Rangers.

He's now homered in three straight games, becoming the youngest Yankee in history to do so, and Torres' five long balls in the last five games gives him eight in only 27 games on the season. The 21-year-old's .323/.385/.613 slash line is just as impressive, and while his power surge won't last, he should remain very productive even while hitting at the bottom of the lineup.

Barreto is starting at second base and hitting ninth Wednesday against the Athletics.

Barreto was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday and will immediately step into the starting lineup at the keystone. The 22-year-old prospect, who was hitting .228/.350/.447 with six homers in 31 games with Triple-A Nashville prior to his promotion, could see his fair share of starts while Khris Davis (groin) is on the disabled list depending on how the A's utilize their open DH spot during that stretch. Jed Lowrie is starting at designated hitter Wednesday, allowing Barreto to pick up the start at second.

Barreto was called up to the big leagues Wednesday from Triple-A Nashville, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Barreto received a promotion to the major leagues after Khris Davis (groin) was placed on the 10-day disabled list. The 22-year-old shortstop has put together a .228/.350/.447 batting line with six home runs and 16 RBI over 31 games at Triple-A Nashville this season. He's expected to be utilized as a bench player during his stint with the Athletics.