MLB Player News

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Altuve (thumb) could be ready to begin a minor-league rehab assignment "within a week or so, maybe, as long as he continues to progress," Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Despite undergoing surgery to repair his fractured right thumb March 22, Altuve looks like he could be on pace for a return from the 10-day injured list in fewer than two months. He took batting practice for the second consecutive day Sunday and also took part in fielding work and baserunning drills. Mauricio Dubon has been holding down the fort at the keystone all season while Altuve has been on the shelf, but Dubon is expected to move into more of a utility role once the eight-time All-Star completes his rehab assignment and is deemed ready for his 2023 MLB debut.

Altuve (thumb) took batting practice, fielded grounders and did some running Sunday in Seattle, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The Astros' decision not to place Altuve on the 60-day injured list to begin the season after he underwent surgery March 22 on his right thumb appears to be a wise one, as the 33-year-old looks like he'll have a chance at being ready to make his season debut well before late May. As Chandler Rome of The Athletic notes, Altuve slugged about six home runs in batting practice Sunday, which seemingly suggests that his power hasn't been compromised even though he had surgery on his dominant hand. The Astros haven't outlined when Altuve might be ready for a rehab assignment, but it could happen as soon as the upcoming week.

Rengifo will start at second base and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Rangers, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rengifo will stick in the starting nine for the fourth consecutive game, with the 26-year-old garnering three turns at second base and one in right field over that stretch. The Angels still appear to be viewing Rengifo as more of a utility player, but his defensive flexibility and ability to switch-hit should afford him multiple starts per week.

Ibanez is starting at third base and batting fifth in Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Ibanez is starting to see more regular playing time, as this is his second start during the three-game weekend series and he also received two at-bats off the bench. He got the nod in right field Friday and will now cover the hot corner. Nick Maton, who started at third Saturday, will head to the bench.

Kemp is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.

The lefty-hitting Kemp will ride the pine Sunday while the Royals bring southpaw Ryan Yarbrough to the hill. Jordan Diaz will spell Kemp at the keystone after having previously sat out in each of the Athletics' previous five games while Oakland opposed right-handed starters.

Rosario is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Rosario will take a seat for the first time since April 22, ending a streak of 12 consecutive starts. Since opening that streak with a four-hit performance against the Marlins, Rosario has hit just .136 with a 36.2 percent strikeout rate over his subsequent 11 games. Gabriel Arias will spell him at shortstop Sunday.

Valdez is starting at second base and batting seventh in Sunday's series finale against the Phillies, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Valdez steps in at the position that has been primarily helmed by Christian Arroyo, who was placed on the injured list with a hamstring injury following Saturday's game. The hamstring has been a recurring issue for Arroyo, so it appears the Red Sox will make sure he's over it before having him play again. Valdez could be the primary starter while Arroyo heals. The 24-year-old infielder has hit safely in eight of 10 games since being called up from Triple-A Worcester, going 12-for-35 with a home run, three doubles, six RBI, three steals and four runs scored in his introduction to the majors.

The Red Sox placed Arroyo on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a right hamstring strain, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Though he'll go on the IL for the first time this season, Arroyo has been bothered by the injury since around the middle of April. Even though Arroyo is coming off a productive game in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Phillies in which he went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored, he may have aggravated the hamstring injury at some point during the contest. Arroyo's absence should give Enmanuel Valdez some further security as the Red Sox's preferred second baseman, at least against right-handed pitching. Boston recalled Bobby Dalbec from Triple-A Worcester to provide the team with another right-handed option in the infield.

Frazier went 1-for-4 with three RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's loss to Atlanta.

Frazier had only one hit, but he still managed to be productive. The infielder knocked in two runs with a fourth-inning single and plated another with a fielder's choice groundout in the sixth. Frazier also managed his sixth theft of the campaign, though he was also caught stealing once. He established a career high with 11 thefts last season and is already more than halfway to that mark through 32 games in 2023.

Massey went 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Athletics.

Massey has hit safely in his last three games, going 4-for-8 with four walks, one RBI and three runs scored in that span. After a rough first few weeks of the season, the second baseman is slowly turning things around. He was batting just .115 on April 21, but he's up to .191 now. Massey has added two steals, six RBI, seven runs scored and two doubles with no home runs over 28 contests.