MLB Player News

Merrifield went 1-for-5 with an RBI and his sixth stolen base of the season in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the White Sox.

Merrifield's season-long batting average (.204) barely sits over the Mendoza Line, but after a brutal first month, he's at least started to settle in nicely at the plate. His base hit Wednesday extended his hitting streak to a 10 games, with the 33-year-old having slashed .372/.391/.558 with two home runs, two doubles, three stolen bases, 10 runs and 10 RBI over that stretch. He's since recaptured the leadoff job for Kansas City and once again finds himself atop the lineup for Thursday's series finale.

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against Boston.

Altuve led off the game with his eighth home run of the season, which was the only offense Houston mustered against Nick Pivetta. He's hit well since returning from a hamstring injury May 2, maintaining a .316 average with seven home runs, 10 RBI and 15 runs scored across 15 games. That stretch has helped him recover from a slow start, and he's now hitting .258/.343/.538 through 105 plate appearances on the season.

Arraez went 3-for-5 with a walk, two doubles, a stolen base, four runs scored and two RBI on Wednesday against the Athletics.

Arraez turned in his third multi-hit game across his last seven starts. The highlight of his performance was his two extra-base hits, as he entered the game with only three doubles and a home run across 107 plate appearances on the campaign. Despite the lack of power, Arraez has a .425 on-base percentage and has regularly hit near the top of the Twins' order, so he should be a good source of runs.

Lopez went 4-for-6 with a walk, a double and a stolen base across both games of Tuesday's doubleheader split with the White Sox.

Getting the start at shortstop in the matinee, Lopez reached base in all four of his plate appearances and swiped his second bag of the season before shifting over to second base for the nightcap and going 1-for-3. The 27-year-old hadn't had a multi-hit performance since May 1, and his 2021 breakout is increasingly looking like a mirage, as Lopez has stumbled to a .215/.306/.252 slash line through 35 games so far this year.

Gimenez went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Reds.

Gimenez got aboard in the eighth inning on an infield single and then stole second. The speedy infielder has gone five games without a multi-hit effort, but he's still gotten aboard safely in 10 of 13 games in May. He's slashing a strong .323/.340/.552 with four home runs, 20 RBI, 13 runs scored and three stolen bases through 31 contests this season.

Miller went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's loss to the Reds.

Cleveland fell in extras, but Miller played the hero in the ninth with a game-tying, two-run shot off Art Warren. Miller has cooled considerably since his hot start, but he's still slashing .296/.357/.531 for the season, and he's still batting cleanup for the Guardians.

Frazier, who went 2-for-2 with an RBI single in a loss to the Blue Jays on Monday, is now hitting .378 (14-for-37) over his last 10 games.

Frazier didn't draw the start with southpaw Yusei Kikuchi on the mound to open the game for the Blue Jays, but he subsequently entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and remained in the contest as a defensive replacement in right field. The offseason acquisition has boosted his average and on-base percentage to .270 and .342, respectively, figures much more in line with his career norms. Entering Tuesday's action, he boasts four multi-hit efforts in the last six games.

Andrus, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI double in a loss to the Twins on Monday, is hitting .467 (7-for-15) with an RBI, two walks and a run in the last five games.

The brief but impressive surge has quickly boosted the veteran shortstop's average from .183 to .231. Andrus' hot streak is reminiscent of his much longer breakout in 2021 following a similarly dreadful start, one that saw him furnish a .273 average and .325 on-base percentage over his final 100 games after carrying .174 and .219 figures in those categories as late as May 24.

The Orioles optioned Bannon to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.

With outfielder Austin Hays (hand) returning to the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Yankees and infielder Jorge Mateo (shoulder/chest) perhaps in line to start Wednesday, manager Brandon Hyde said getting an extra arm in the bullpen was a greater priority than keeping Bannon around as position-player depth. Reliever Logan Gillaspie was called up from Norfolk to replace Bannon, who appeared in four games and went 2-for-14 with five strikeouts during his brief time in the big leagues.

Rengifo (elbow) is starting at second base and batting sixth Tuesday against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Rengifo has been sidelined the past few days by a bruised elbow, but he'll retake the field for Tuesday's matchup with Texas. The 25-year-old is 4-for-14 with a double and three runs through seven games this season.