MLB Player News

Kemp is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rangers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Kemp has a .303 average over his past nine games and will take a seat Thursday with southpaw Martin Perez on the mound for Texas. Sheldon Neuse will shift to the keystone while Christian Bethancourt starts at first base.

Polanco (ankle) isn't starting Thursday against the Royals.

Polanco will be out of the lineup for a third consecutive game due to some slight soreness in his right ankle, but manager Rocco Baldelli is optimistic that the second baseman could return as soon as Friday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports. The 28-year-old had been playing through the issue recently, but the team wants to give him some time to rest while receiving treatment. Luis Arraez will shift to the keystone while Jose Miranda starts at first base.

Gimenez isn't starting Thursday's game against the Tigers.

Gimenez has started against just four left-handed pitchers this year, and he'll get a breather with southpaw Tarik Skubal on the mound for the Tigers on Thursday. Amed Rosario will shift to shortstop while Oscar Mercado starts in left field.

Andrus went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in a win over the Mariners on Wednesday.

Andrus went deep for the second straight game, launching a two-run shot off Robbie Ray in the sixth to extend the Athletics' lead to 3-0. The veteran shortstop is wielding a hot bat, going 5-for-11 with two homers and three RBI across his last three games.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, an RBI and a stolen base Wednesday in a 7-2 win over the Angels.

Semien led off the game with a single, stole second base and subsequently came around to score on a Mitch Garver sacrifice fly. He tallied an RBI on a sacrifice fly of his own in the seventh frame. This was one of the better games in what has been a brutal campaign for the veteran, as he still hasn't hit a homer and is slashing just .185/.242/.247 across 178 plate appearances. He may be starting to come on, however, going 9-for-28 (.321) with two RBI and two thefts over his past seven contests.

Castro went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's win over the Twins.

Castro entered the contest with just one home run this season across 24 games, and he only had three long balls in 106 games last year, so the power outburst was definitely unexpected. The three-hit effort wasn't as rare, however, as the utility man did that as recently as May 15. Castro is now batting .301 for the season, and while the power won't always be there, he's certainly proven himself to be a capable hitter at the MLB level.

Ibanez isn't starting Wednesday against the Angels.

Ibanez has gone just 1-for-17 with a walk and four strikeouts over his last six games, and he'll take a seat for the third time in the last five matchups. Charlie Culberson will start at the hot corner and bat eighth.

Andrus went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs in a win over the Mariners on Tuesday.

Both of the veteran's hits actually culminated with runs crossing the plate for the Athletics, but his seventh-inning single, which resulted in Sean Murphy scoring the go-ahead run, came as a result of Jesse Winker's error in left field. Andrus' season line is still a lackluster .227/.303/.328, yet he boasts a .316 average and .828 OPS across his last 13 games.

Kemp is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

With southpaw Robbie Ray on the hill for Seattle, the lefty-hitting Kemp will take a seat for the series finale after going 3-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and three runs out of the leadoff spot in Tuesday's win. Sheldon Neuse will spell Kemp at the keystone in Wednesday's matinee.

Manager Rocco Baldelli said Wednesday that Polanco is dealing with some slight soreness in his right ankle, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old is out of the lineup for a second consecutive game Wednesday against the Tigers, and his absence is related to an ankle issue. However, Baldelli said the team isn't concerned about Polanco's injury and is hopeful the second baseman will be fine after spending a few days off the field.