MLB Player News

Manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Altuve (oblique) is expected to take live batting practice before the end of the week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The veteran second baseman has been sidelined nearly three weeks due to an oblique strain but is progressing quickly through his rehab program. Espada previously indicated that Altuve may not require a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the Astros, so facing live pitching could be the final hurdle before he's cleared to come off the injured list.

The Red Sox placed Sogard on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right oblique strain, Chris Henrique of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

It's unclear how long the injury has been bothering Sogard, but he hasn't played since Saturday. Anthony Seigler is grabbing Sogard's spot on Boston's active roster, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa could see steadier playing time while Sogard is out.

McKinstry is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

McKinstry had started in each of Detroit's last three games, but he could be at risk of falling into more of a part-time role after the Tigers reinstated Gleyber Torres from the 10-day injured list Tuesday. Since the beginning of May, the Tigers rank 29th in the majors with a .287 wOBA, and McKinstry has played a major part in the team's offensive struggles. During that stretch, McKinstry is slashing just .127/.238/.141 over 86 plate appearances.

Keaschall went 2-for-4 with two RBI singles and one run scored in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the White Sox.

It was Keaschall's third multi-hit game in his last nine contests, and over his last 25 games, the second baseman is hitting .305 with an .805 OPS across 97 plate appearances. He's raised his season slash line to .249/.323/.322 with one home run, 21 RBI, 27 runs scored, 10 stolen bases and a 20:35 BB:K across 232 trips to the plate.

Bazzana went 1-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and a three-run double during the Guardians' 9-4 win over the Yankees on Tuesday.

With the bases loaded in the eighth inning, Bazzana gave the Guardians insurance runs with a bases-clearing double off Camilo Doval. Bazzana's four runs driven in were a career high and the fifth multi-RBI game of the season for the 23-year-old second baseman. He has gone 12-for-36 (.333) with one steal, nine extra-base hits and five RBI over his last nine games.

Torres went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's 8-0 win over the Rays.

Playing in his first game in a month, Torres wasted little time getting back into the swing of things as he hit his third home run of the season to lead off the game for the Tigers. The veteran second baseman was on the shelf due to an oblique strain, and Detroit may ease him back into action somewhat, but Torres should once again occupy a spot near the top of the lineup most days. His return should give the entire offense a boost due to his ability to consistently get on base.

The Tigers optioned Lee to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old has been up in the majors since mid-April but will return to Triple-A with Gleyber Torres (oblique) coming off the injured list Tuesday. In his first taste of the big leagues, Lee posted a .205/.241/.337 slash line with two home runs, nine RBI and six runs in 32 games.

The Tigers activated Torres (oblique) from the 10-day injured list, and he's starting at second base and batting leadoff Tuesday against the Rays.

The 29-year-old has been on the shelf for the past month due to an oblique strain, but he's ready to rejoin the Tigers after a two-game rehab assignment.

Massey went 3-for-5 with a solo home run in Monday's 9-2 win over the Reds.

Massey added on to the Royals' sizable lead, launching a solo homer in the seventh inning as part of a three-hit effort. It marked the second baseman's first three-hit game of the season and second homer in as many days, the first time he has gone deep in consecutive games this year. On the year, Massey is now hitting .250 with a .731 OPS, five homers, 16 RBI, 14 runs and a stolen base across 125 plate appearances.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed on MLB Network Radio that Torres (oblique) will be activated from the 10-day injured list before Tuesday's game against the Rays, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Torres has been sidelined since early May while battling a left oblique strain, but he's been cleared to return to action after playing two rehab games with Triple-A Toledo. Hao-Yu Lee and Zach McKinstry have shared the Tigers' second-base job since Torres went down, but with Torres returning to the active roster, McKinstry will likely shift to a super-utility role and Lee could be demoted back to Triple-A Toledo.