MLB Player News

Ibanez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and three runs scored in Monday's win over the Guardians.

Ibanez has been seeing more regular playing time lately, and he's responded with a .333 batting average and now his first home run of the season. The 30-year-old has been playing all over the diamond, with his Monday start coming at second base. Ibanez may not have a regular position quite yet, but he's carving out a role with the Tigers.

Altuve (thumb) is taking live batting practice with Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Altuve continues to get closer to returning to the field for the Astros and is not far away from starting a rehab stint. The infielder has missed the first month-plus of action with his broken right thumb, and it looks like he's going to make his return to the diamond more quickly than anticipated. There's a very good chance that Altuve is hitting at the top of the Houston lineup close to the middle of May.

Bannon was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land by the Astros on Monday.

Bannon was sent down to make room for Chas McCormick with McCormick coming off the injured list for Monday's game against the Angels. Bannon will likely be up and down throughout the 2023 season as a depth option.

Kemp will sit Monday versus the the Yankees.

Kemp will remain on the bench Monday as the Athletics face left-hander Nestor Cortes on the mound. Jordan Diaz will draw the start at second base and bat sixth in the series opener with New York.

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Sunday's 10-1 victory over the Pirates.

Merrifield opened the scoring Sunday with an RBI single in the first inning before extending Toronto's lead to 4-0 with a three-run homer off Roansy Contreras in the third. It's the first homer of the season for the 34-year-old Merrifield after he hit 11 in 504 at-bats last season. He's gotten off to a nice start with Toronto, slashing .291/.342/.408 with 12 runs scored, 14 RBI and seven steals through 114 plate appearances. While he's not likely to be a 40-steal threat anymore, Merrifield remains a solid multi-category fantasy option in the middle of a powerful Blue Jays' lineup.

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.