MLB Player News

Kemp is out of the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader with the Tigers.

Detroit is bringing a left-hander (Tarik Skubal) to the hill for the early game, so the lefty-hitting Kemp's absence from the lineup doesn't come as a major surprise. The righty-hitting Chad Pinder will spell Kemp in left field for the matinee.

Andrus isn't starting the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Tigers.

Andrus started the last six games and hit .217 with four runs, three RBI and a stolen base. He'll get a breather while Nick Allen shifts to shortstop with Sheldon Neuse starting at second base.

Short was called up from Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.

Short will return to the majors for the first time this season after he appeared in 61 games with the Tigers last year. He struggled to a .141 average in those contests and hasn't quite produced a better line in Triple-A in 2022. Overall, he's compiled a .225 average with nine homers, 37 RBI, 51 runs and nine stolen bases over 307 at-bats in 85 games for Toledo.

Haggerty went 3-for-4 with a run in a win over the Rangers on Sunday.

Haggerty continued to make impressive contributions Sunday, this time serving as a thorn in the side of Rangers pitching out of the bottom of the order. The 28-year-old now has a trio of three-hit efforts in the last eight games, affording him a .375 average over that span despite the fact he's also gone hitless in four other starts during the sample.

The Royals reinstated Merrifield (toe) from the restricted list Monday.

Merrifield was one of 10 Royals players who will rejoin the 26-man active roster after being ineligible to play during the four-game weekend series in Toronto due his vaccination status. Before he was deactivated Thursday, Merrifield saw his streak of 553 consecutive games played come to an end due to a bone bruise in his right big toe, which sidelined him for a four-game series with Detroit. Merrifield closed the Royals' first-half schedule with a .240/.292/.343 slash line to go with five home runs, 14 stolen bases, 45 runs and 36 RBI in 84 contests, but his availability for the team's first game of the second half Friday against the Rays is in question due to the lingering toe injury. It's unclear if the time on the restricted list plus the All-Star break will provide sufficient time for Merrifield to make a full recovery from the injury.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a stolen base in a 6-2 loss to the Mariners on Sunday.

After not hitting his first home run of the year until May 28, Semien is looking much more like his usual self. The veteran right-handed bat now has five home runs in July to give him 13 on the season. He also easily stole second off Chris Flexen in the bottom of the first for his 17th stolen base of the year. The number marks a new career-high. If Semien can continue to play the way he has in June and July, then he should be in line for another high-powered second half to complement his new propensity for steals.

Lowe went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in a 7-5 win Sunday over Baltimore.

Lowe doubled in his first two plate appearances against Jordan Lyles and singled in his final two trips to the plate. The 28-year-old has crushed the ball in his two games since returning from a back injury that cost him two months, going 6-for-8 with a walk and four runs scored. After amassing an .870 OPS over the past three seasons, his strong return is a great sign heading into the second half for the Rays and fantasy managers looking for Lowe to repeat his 39-homer production from a year ago.

The Royals returned Massey to Triple-A Omaha following Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays.

Since Massey joined the Royals as a replacement for one of the 10 players who were placed on the restricted list prior to Thursday's series opener in Toronto, he won't be exposed to waivers even while he comes off the 40-man roster as he heads back to Omaha. Massey made starts in the final two contests of the Royals' four games following his call-up, going 3-for-8 at the dish.

Haggerty will start in right field and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Rangers.

The switch-hitting Haggerty will be making his fourth start in right field in five games and may end up filling the strong side of a platoon at the position with the righty-hitting Dylan Moore, who is on the bench for the second day in a row. Through 11 games in July, Haggerty is hitting .259 with two home runs, two stolen bases, six runs and three RBI.

Haggerty entered Saturday's extra-inning win over the Rangers as a pinch runner in the top of the 10th inning, stole third base and eventually scored the game-winning run.

The speedy Haggerty's swipe of third base, his fourth steal of the year, was key, as it allowed him to score easily when J.P. Crawford laced a single into right field to snap a 2-2 tie. It's been a somewhat momentous first three games of the series for Haggerty, who also notched an inside-the-park home run as part of a three-hit night in Thursday's opening installment against the Rangers.