MLB Player News

Andrus went 2-for-4 at the dish in Wednesday's 12-2 loss to the Astros.

With the Rangers eliminated from playoff contention, manager Jeff Banister has decided to shut down Andrus' regular mate on the left side of the infield, Adrian Beltre, for the remainder of the season, but it doesn't look like a similar fate will await the shortstop. Andrus, who has put together back-to-back two-hit games, has suited up in all but three of the Rangers' contests this season, and since his health seems to be on solid ground, he'll likely be given the leeway to continue playing through the weekend. The prospect of regular at-bats over the final four games will give Andrus a shot at besting the career-high .302 average he posted in 2016; he's currently sitting at .299 for the season.

Altuve went 1-for-4 with two runs scored in Wednesday's 12-2 win over Texas.

Altuve, who returned from a one-game absence due to a forearm injury, knocked his 200th hit of the season, making it four years in a row he's accomplished that feat. The Astros head into a season-ending four-game set in Boston with a chance to overtake Cleveland for the best record in the AL. That suggests Altuve will be in the lineup as long as they have a shot.

Semien went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Mariners.

Semien is seemingly making up for lost time as the season comes to a close, as he's now smacked a trio of round trippers in the last six contests, including in two straight. The slugging shortstop was robbed of nearly two months earlier this season due to a wrist injury, and he only notched five homers in the two months between his return and Sept. 6. His recent power surge has led to eight extra-base hits (four doubles, four homers) and a .351 wOBA over the 75 plate appearances he's seen across the subsequent 16 games.

Beckham went 2-for-4 with a run in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Athletics.

The veteran drew his first start since having his contract purchased from Triple-A Tacoma on Sept. 2 and logged his first pair of hits in 2017 at the big-league level in the process. Beckham spent his season in the minors, hitting .262 with nine home runs and 45 RBI over 355 plate appearances. He may be in line for some starts during the Mariners' remaining games.

Motter was hitless in four at-bats in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Athletics. He's now hitting just .143 over 22 September plate appearances.

The 28-year-old saw a three-game hitting streak snapped, a stretch in which he'd compiled his only hits -- all singles -- for September. The lack of success has also led to a .182 OBP and .143 slugging percentage for the month. Motter's struggles extend back to the beginning of his current big-league stint, as he's slashed just .179/.200/.205 over 40 plate appearances since returning from Triple-A Tacoma on Aug. 20. He's been a bit on the unlucky side, however, as he also carries a .219 BABIP over that span.

Altuve (forearm) is back in the lineup Wednesday against the Rangers.

A hit-by-pitch forced Altuve from Monday's game, but all tests on the forearm were negative and Altuve is set to return after missing just one start. The 27-year-old has been an elite fantasy contributor again this season, matching his career-high home run total from a year ago while surpassing 30 steals for a sixth straight season.

Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI in Tuesday's 2-1 win over Detroit.

Merrifield came around to score after leading off the fourth inning with a double and drove in the go-ahead run with a sac fly in the fifth. The leadoff man was also caught stealing after reaching on a fielder's choice in the seventh, falling to 33-for-39 in steal attempts for the season. He's now slashing .286/.324/.459.

Altuve (forearm) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rangers.

Altuve underwent an MRI after being forced from Monday's game, and he was diagnosed with only a bruise. While Altuve's injury is minor, the Astros are playing only for playoff positioning at this point, so he will get a day off to rest and recover. Marwin Gonzalez will get the start at second base Tuesday night.

Andrus went 1-for-4 with a steal and a run in Monday's 11-2 loss to the Astros.

The stolen base was Andrus' 25th of the season, marking the seventh time in his career that he's reached that benchmark. Contrary to previous seasons, however, Andrus has accompanied that steal total with career-best power production, with his 20 home runs more than doubling up his previous top mark (eight in 2016). The 20-20 season has helped vault Andrus into the elite ranks of fantasy shortstops in 2017.

Semien went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's 7-1 loss to the Mariners.

Semien produced the only run of the night for the Athletics with a sixth-inning solo shot off Felix Hernandez. The shortstop is swinging a hot bat over the last seven contests, going 10-for-30 with three doubles, two homers and five RBI over that stretch.