MLB Player News

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 5-1 win over the Athletics.

Merrifield entered Friday just 2-for-14 in his last four contests. The 33-year-old also picked up his first steal since May 23, giving him eight thefts in nine attempts this year. He's still managed a rather mediocre .232/.270/.317 slash line with three home runs, 27 RBI, 31 runs scored and 13 doubles across 282 plate appearances, though he remains locked in as the Royals' leadoff hitter.

Mayfield was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday and will bat ninth and play third base against the Mariners.

Mayfield was optioned Friday but is back less than a week later with Anthony Rendon shut down for season-ending wrist surgery. Mayfield has slashed .194/.239/.284 in 22 games this season, which doesn't make a case for regular playing time, but he could start at the hot corner against lefties such as Friday's starter Robbie Ray.

Kemp isn't starting Friday's game against the Royals.

Kemp will be out of the lineup for a second consecutive game since left-hander Daniel Lynch is on the mound for the Royals on Friday. Jonah Bride is shifting to the keystone while Matt Davidson starts at third base.

Lopez signed a one-year, $2.55 million contract with the Royals on Friday after losing his arbitration case, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

It's the first year of arbitration eligibility for Lopez, and he's coming off a .300/.365/.378 slash line in 2021 with two home runs, 43 RBI, 78 runs and 22 steals. However, he's struggled so far in 2022 and has a .537 OPS and only four steals through 59 games. Lopez is starting at third base and batting ninth Friday against the A's.

Polanco will be placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with lower-back tightness, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The 28-year-old hasn't seen the field since Sunday due to the injury, so the Twins have opted to put him on the shelf to recover for at least the next week. Polanco underwent an MRI this week which didn't show any major concerns, so he could be back after the 10-day minimum. Alex Kirilloff will join the club in a corresponding move, and he could see time at first base with Luis Arraez sliding over to second.

Haggerty was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Friday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Haggerty was promoted by the Mariners in late May, and he posted a .528 OPS in 13 games. Consistent playing time was hard to come by, as he made only 18 plate appearances during that span.

Rosario went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Rockies.

Rosario contributed an RBI single in the second inning and a sacrifice fly in the seventh to account for the Guardians' margin of victory. With steals in each of the last two games, the shortstop is now 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts this season. He's added a solid .272/.303/.359 slash line with one home run, 16 RBI, 31 runs scored, eight doubles and four triples. He should continue to regularly hit in the No. 2 spot in the order.

Brujan went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Thursday against the Yankees.

With Kevin Kiermaier (Achilles) day-to-day, the Rays shuffled their lineup, moving Brujan to the leadoff spot for the first time this season and the second time in his career. Despite getting regular playing time, Brujan has struggled to get going at the plate, hitting just .144 across 105 plate appearances on the campaign. Equally concerning is that he has struggled on the basepaths, managing only two stolen bases on six attempts.

Lowe (back) recently experienced discomfort while taking swings and will be shut down until at least Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 27-year-old recently resumed baseball activities after being shut down for three weeks due to a stress reaction in his lower back, and he's now feeling some discomfort. It's not believed to be a serious concern, though Lowe's rehab program will be put on hold for a few days to see how the injury responds to rest.

Torres is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays.

With Josh Donaldson serving his one-game suspension Tuesday and returning to the lineup Wednesday, the Yankees are now back to full strength in both the infield and outfield. Torres could find himself on the bench more frequently as a result, though he's helped his case for holding down at least a part-time role by producing a 1.047 OPS over his last 13 contests.