MLB Player News

Lopez will sit Friday versus the Guardians.

Lopez will get a day off after he went 4-for-16 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in a series against Houston. Emmanuel Rivera will take over at third base and bat ninth in the series opener against Cleveland on Friday.

Lowe (back) will pause his rehab assignment for at least a day or two after he was hit in the head Thursday, manager Kevin Cash told MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.

Lowe has been out since mid-May due to a stress reaction in his lower back and only made it a single plate appearance into his rehab assignment before he was hit by a pitch from fellow rehabber Steven Matz. Per Cash, Lowe has a headache and will sit for at least a brief period, and it's possible his rehab assignment only winds up briefly delayed if he's able to avoid a concussion. The Rays were hoping to get Lowe back shortly after the All-Star break, a timeline which may still be in play.

Altuve went 1-for-2 with a home run, three RBI and two walks in Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Royals.

Altuve slugged his 17th home run in the fifth inning to tie the game 2-2 and added walks in the third and seventh. He also extended the Astros' lead to 4-2 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. During his current six-game hitting streak, Altuve is slashing .435/.517/.783 with two homers and six RBI.

Sosa has not played since July 2 due to ankle pain, but he's expected back shortly, Daniel Victor of White Sox Daily reports.

He's supposed to be back with Triple-A Charlotte "in a few days." Sosa went 6-for-14 (.429) with two doubles in three games after being demoted to Charlotte following his four-game cup of coffee in the majors. It's likely we'll see him up with the big club again later this season, especially considering how little offense the White Sox are getting from Leury Garcia and Josh Harrison at second base.

Hernandez (hip) is slated to join Triple-A Worcester on Friday for a rehab assignment, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Hernandez will presumably stick around with the Triple-A club through the weekend before potentially coming off the 10-day injured list for Monday's series opener at Tampa Bay, assuming he experiences no setbacks with his hip during his games with Worcester. The 31-year-old should reclaim duties as Boston's primary center fielder once activated from the IL, at which point Jarren Duran may have to battle Jackie Bradley for reps in right field.

Arroyo is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Arroyo will hit the bench after he started each of the past four games, with the last two coming at third base. With Rafael Devers (hamstring/back) ready to reclaim duties at the hot corner following a two-game absence, Arroyo will move back into a utility role, though he should be a fixture in the lineup versus left-handed pitching.

Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Astros.

Merrifield knocked the third pitch of the game from Houston starter Cristian Javier over the fence for a 360-foot leadoff homer. Long balls are pretty rare for Merrifield -- he hadn't hit one since May 23. He's up to four homers with 34 RBI, 44 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 18 doubles, a triple and a .239/.292/.337 slash line in 80 contests overall. While the batting line is a step down from his usual level, he's hit .286 with a .758 OPS and seven steals in his last 26 games, which is an extended run of success more in line with preseason expectations.

Arraez went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored Wednesday against the White Sox.

Arraez delivered an RBI single in the second inning and managed to score multiple runs for the second time in his last three starts. He also extended his hitting streak to seven games, during which he's hit .500 with two RBI and six runs scored. Arraez is hitting .354/.425/.455 on the season -- good for a .388 wOBA and 157 wRC+.

Polanco went 2-for-4 with a walk, two home runs and three RBI on Wednesday against the White Sox.

Polanco went yard in the fifth and seventh innings to bring his homer total on the season to 12. He's been on a power surge since returning from a back injury June 28, smacking five home runs across his last eight starts. Polanco owns a .338 wOBA and 122 wRC+ across 286 plate appearances on the season.

Lowe (back) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe was transferred to the 60-day injured list Tuesday but will return to game action at the Triple-A level, which likely represents the final step in his recovery process. Although the 28-year-old is eligible to return to the Rays in mid-July, manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that he doesn't expect Lowe to be activated until after the All-Star break.