MLB Player News

Andrus is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

The veteran infielder will take a seat for the first time this season while Kevin Smith receives a turn at shortstop. Through his first nine starts with the Athletics, Andrus is slashing .250/.351/.469 with a home run, four doubles, seven runs, three RBI and a stolen base across 37 plate appearances.

Castro is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in Saturday's game against the Royals.

With Javier Baez (thumb) out for the fourth straight game, Castro will stick at shortstop. He's been an effective MLB hitter when given the chance, batting no worse than .283 the past four seasons, so he could have some short-term value for however long Baez remains out.

Kemp isn't starting Saturday's game against the Blue Jays.

Kemp led off against a left-hander Thursday against the Rays, but he'll be on the bench Saturday with southpaw Hyun Jin Ryu starting for Toronto. Sheldon Neuse will start at the keystone and bat fifth.

Semien went 1-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 9-6 loss to the Angels.

Semien's had a quiet presence to open the season, but Friday's effort was a promising sign he's ready to start making an impact. The stolen base was the first of the season, and he has hits and runs scored in two consecutive games.

Frazier went 4-for-5 with a double, a triple, two runs and four RBI in an 11-1 win over the Astros on Friday.

Frazier set the table for Seattle's offense out of the leadoff spot with a single and a run in both the first and sixth innings, a run-scoring triple in the fourth, and a two-RBI double in the seventh. The four hits match the first-year Mariner's total through his first seven games and snap an 0-for-9 stretch. The 30-year-old is now slashing .229/.250/.343.

Gimenez is out of the lineup Friday against the Giants.

Gimenez will remain on the bench for a second straight contest after starting three of the previous four. He is 4-for-14 with a home run, a triple and three RBI through six games this season. Owen Miller will man the keystone Friday while Josh Naylor (lower leg), who is fresh off the injured list, will start at first base.

Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a RBI and a stolen base in a 4-2 loss Thursday against Detroit.

Merrifield tied the game 2-2 with an RBI single in the fourth inning and stole second before being stranded. It was his third consecutive game with at least one hit and a stolen base. The right fielder also had a critical outfield assist in the sixth, throwing out Austin Meadows at the plate and, temporarily, keeping the score tied. He has now hit leadoff and started in right field every game this season.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's 6-3 loss to Oakland. He didn't strikeout or walk.

Lowe registered his third two-hit game and his third home run of the season during Thursday's contest. His two-run blast came off Athletics starter Cole Irvin in the seventh inning with the Rays trailing 6-1. After seven games, Lowe is on pace to match his career-high 39-homer, 99-RBI campaign from a year ago.

Ibanez isn't starting Thursday's game against the Angels.

Ibanez recorded hits in each of his last four appearances and went 5-for-17 with a double, two RBI, a run and three strikeouts during that time. However, Brad Miller will shift to third base Thursday while Willie Calhoun starts in left field.

Lopez will start at second base and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Tigers.

Lopez served as the Royals' No. 8 hitter in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to St. Louis, but he's otherwise slotted in at the bottom of the order in each of Kansas City's games this season. With Adalberto Mondesi back to full health and with Bobby Witt breaking camp with the big club, the Royals don't have room for Lopez near the top of the lineup, even though he posted a .365 on-base average in 2021 and finished the campaign as the team's No. 2 hitter. For his part, Lopez hasn't let the move down the lineup affect his performance thus far, as he enters Thursday's game with a .357/.400/.429 slash line across 16 plate appearances.