MLB Player News

Altuve went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, two RBI and four runs scored in Tuesday's 10-2 victory over the Diamondbacks.

Altuve had a huge day at the plate Tuesday. He led off the game for Houston with a long ball and knocked a second home run in the sixth inning to record his first multi-homer game since July 30, 2021. He increased his season-long home run total to 28. He also recorded his 35th double of the season, his highest mark since hitting 39 in 2017.

Castro went 3-for-5 with three RBI in a 4-3 extra-inning victory Tuesday over Kansas City.

Castro was the hero Tuesday as he tied the game with a two-run single in the eighth and walked it off with an RBI single in the 10th. It was his third straight three-hit performance and he's 9-for-14 with a homer and six RBI in those contests. The 27-year-old has set career highs in nearly every offensive category this season while appearing at six different positions in the field.

Kemp is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Angels.

Kemp started the past 11 games and will head to the bench after he posted a .233/.283/.442 slash line with two home runs and seven RBI during that span. Jordan Diaz will step in at the keystone and bat sixth against Halos lefty Patrick Sandoval.

Gonzalez is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Twins, Vinnie Duber of AllCHGO.com reports.

Gonzalez is hitting just .071 with 13 strikeouts and zero walks in his last 10 games. Josh Harrison is starting at the keystone, hitting ninth.

Gimenez is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Rays.

That's two missed games in a row for Gimenez, who is in the midst of a 10-for-24 streak at the dish over his last six games, so perhaps he is a little banged up. Gabriel Arias is starting at the keystone and hitting seventh.

Arroyo (illness) is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Orioles, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Arroyo hasn't played since Sept. 18 due to a non-COVID illness. Enrique Hernandez will shift to second base while Rob Refsnyder draws the start in center field.

Hernandez went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored in Monday's 14-8 loss to Baltimore.

Hernandez was back in a familiar spot, leading off for Boston as Tommy Pham was given the day off. He's been filling in regularly for second baseman Trevor Story, whose heel injury was expected to keep him out only a few days but eventually landed him on the injured list.

Espinal (oblique) is doing some light baseball activity and hitting off a tee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Espinal has been on the injured list with a left oblique strain since Thursday, but it's encouraging that he's begun some light work after a few days. The Blue Jays hope that the 27-year-old will be able to return late in the regular season so he can prepare for postseason play, but it's not yet clear whether he'll have enough time to ramp up prior to Oct. 5.

Merrifield will start at second base and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Yankees.

Since coming over in an Aug. 2 deadline deal with the Royals, Merrifield has largely served as a reserve infielder and outfielder, but Santiago Espinal's (oblique) recent move to the injured list has reopened an everyday role for the 33-year-old. Merrifield has made the most of the opportunity thus far, going 6-for-18 with three home runs, two doubles and a walk while scoring four times and driving in six over his last five starts. If he continues to rake as the season winds down, Merrifield could stick around as the Blue Jays' top second baseman even once Espinal is activated.

Arroyo (illness) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Orioles, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Arroyo hasn't played since Sept. 18 while he recovers from a non-COVID-19 illness, but the Red Sox have thus far resisted moving him to the 10-day injured list. With Trevor Story (heel) done for the season, Arroyo could have a fairly clear path to a near-everyday role in the middle infield once he eventually moves past his illness.