MLB Player News

Julien will start at second base and bat ninth in Monday's game in Baltimore.

Julien has now made two straight starts against left-handers and has been in the lineup for all but two games this season. It might not be the case if the Twins weren't missing Royce Lewis (quad) and/or Carlos Correa (intercostal), but for now Julien looks like an everyday player rather than a strong-side platoon option.

Valdez (thumb) will start at second base and bat seventh in Monday's game versus the Guardians.

Valdez didn't play Sunday after exiting Saturday's contest with a bruised left thumb, although he might not have been in the lineup, anyway, since they were facing a lefty. Either way, he's back in there Monday against Xzavion Curry and the Guardians.

Polanco went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in Sunday's loss to the Cubs.

Polanco's two-run blast in the sixth were the only runs and the only extra-base hit the Mariners were able to muster up on the afternoon. Polanco now has two long balls on the year which also happen to be his only extra-base hits on the season so far. He's gotten off to a sluggish start with his new ballclub, slashing .196/.318/.304 with five RBI, three runs scored and a 9:22 BB:K in 66 plate appearances.

Semien went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI during Sunday's loss to the Astros.

Semien's second homer of the season came with two on and two out in the ninth inning of a six-run game to cut the final deficit in half. It was the eighth multi-hit game of the season for Semien, who also added a run-scoring double on the day. The two-time All-Star now finds his batting average at .288 with 14 RBI and 12 runs scored.

Altuve went 3-for-5 with two solo home runs during Sunday's win over the Rangers.

Altuve touched up Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi for both of his blasts, leading off the bottom of the first with a shot to left, then adding a second blast in the third. The eight-time All-Star has been off to a scorching start for the Astros, raising his average to .382 with five homers, seven RBI, eight doubles and 14 runs scored through his first 68 at-bats.

Drury went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Red Sox.

Drury notched his first home run of 2024, tagging starter Brayan Bello for a solo shot in the second inning. Sunday's contest also marked Drury's second multi-hit game of the season. The second baseman has logged a hit in five of his last six games but still owns a poor .196 batting average through 14 outings.

Loftin went 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 11-7 win over the Mets.

Loftin has seen most of his playing time at second base this season, sharing the keystone with Adam Frazier. After logging just two hits and one RBI over his first eight games, Loftin has found his swing a bit with three hits and five RBI across his last two contests. He's batting .250 with six RBI, five runs scored and no extra-base hits or stolen bases through 26 plate appearances. Loftin may drop into a utility role or lose his 26-man roster spot altogether once Michael Massey (back) is activated from the injured list.

Biggio is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.

Biggio will take a seat for the series finale after he had manned the keystone in each of the Blue Jays' last six games while going 8-for-22 with a double, a stolen base, an RBI and a run. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will spell Biggio at second base.

Torres went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base in Saturday's win over Cleveland in Game 2 of the doubleheader. He also drew a walk.

Torres came around to score New York's third run of the game on an Anthony Volpe single after drawing a walk and then stealing second to open the fourth inning. The second baseman would then come around to score a second time in the fifth, marking just the second time this season in which he's scored two runs in a game. Torres has now hit safely in back-to-back contests, though he's still batting just .222 in April with two RBI, two stolen bases and four runs scored.

Valdez (thumb) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

After exiting Saturday's 7-2 win early with a bruised left thumb, Valdez will hit the bench for the series finale. It's unclear whether the injury is actually keeping him out of the lineup, as the lefty-hitting Valdez likely would have been on the bench anyway with a southpaw (Tyler Anderson) on the mound for the Halos. In any case, Pablo Reyes will fill in for Valdez at the keystone.