MLB Player News

Lowe (side) is absent from Friday's lineup against the Rockies.

Lowe had to leave Wednesday's game versus the Rangers due to left side tightness. With the Rockies sending lefty Austin Gomber to the mound Friday, the plan is to give Lowe a second day of rest following Thursday's off day, with the hope that he'll be ready to start Saturday. Curtis Mead will cover second base Friday.

Biggio is starting at second base and batting sixth Friday against the Yankees.

The 28-year-old was originally absent from Friday's lineup, but he's now starting after Kevin Kiermaier was scratched with a back injury. Biggio is off to a slow start this season, going 3-for-17 with a homer, four walks, three RBI and two runs in six games.

Julien went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Guardians.

Julien was the lone Twin who could solve Tanner Bibee on Thursday, as the 24-year-old second baseman poked an opposite-field homer to lead off the bottom of the fifth, cutting Minnesota's deficit to 3-1. It's an encouraging sign for Julien, who's scuffled a bit in the early going -- he has just three hits through his first 20 at-bats while striking out seven times. After an impressive rookie campaign, Julien should be the primary leadoff option in Minnesota against right-handed pitching.

Schneider will start at second base and bat fifth in Friday's game against the Yankees.

It will be Schneider's first start at the keystone in the early going and just his third start overall. Cavan Biggio is on the bench against a right-hander for the first time. The 25-year-old Schneider has already cranked a pair of home runs in his first nine plate appearances this season.

Biggio is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Biggio is mired in a 3-for-17 slump to begin the season and will head to the bench for Friday's series opener in New York. Davis Schneider will take over at second base against Yankees righty Marcus Stroman.

Frazier isn't in the Royals' lineup for Thursday's game against the White Sox, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Frazier will get a breather Thursday after going 0-for-6 during the Royals' last series versus Baltimore. Nick Loftin will take over for him at the keystone and bat eighth.

Massey (back) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Friday.

Massey has been sidelined since mid-March due to a lower-back strain, but his back has held up well during simulated games at the Royals' spring training complex, and he's now been cleared to resume action in a competitive setting. It's unclear how many games the Royals want the 26-year-old infielder to play in the minors, but a return to Kansas City doesn't seem far away.

Urias went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in a loss to the Guardians on Wednesday.

The modestly successful day at the plate, which came in Urias' third start, snapped the infielder out of a season-opening 0-for-8 slump. The 26-year-old has split time at the hot corner with Josh Rojas thus far, and perhaps Wednesday's performance will help ignite his bat after he also cooled off over the latter portion of spring training following a hot start to Cactus League play.

Polanco went 1-for-4 in a loss to the Guardians on Wednesday and is hitting just .115 (4-for-26) with no extra-base hits over his first seven games.

The veteran's Mariners tenure could hardly be off to a more inauspicious start, and compounding the concern is the fact Polanco has also generated an alarming 42.9 percent strikeout rate in that sample of 28 plate appearances. The 30-year-old posted a career-high 25.7 percent strikeout rate with the Twins last season as well, so it remains to be seen if the poor contact rate early this season ultimately proves to be an extension of that troublesome pattern. Polanco does now have a single in three consecutive contests, a mildly encouraging development after he opened the campaign going 1-for-14 in his first four contests.

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

Altuve concluded an offensive barrage by the Astros, as his solo home run in the seventh inning put the team up 8-0. He now has three homers on the season, all of which have come in his last four games. Altuve has also begun the new campaign with a seven-game hitting streak, including three multi-hit performances.