MLB Player News

Polanco (back) will bat third and play second base Monday against the Tigers.

Polanco sat Sunday to rest his lower back, but he's evidently not dealing with any significant injury. He appeared off the bench in that contest and will be involved from the start in this one.

Kemp is hitting .368 (7-for-19) with a double, an RBI, two walks, a stolen base and three runs over his last eight games.

The veteran's impressive numbers even factor in an 0-for-4 showing Sunday, with Kemp having preceded that clunker by having hit safely in each of the previous six games in which he'd logged a plate appearance. Kemp has raised his season average 13 points to .253 since July 10, and both his .374 on-base percentage and .763 OPS qualify as career highs.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sunday that Arroyo (hamstring) is progressing, but the infielder is without a timeline to return from the 10-day injured list, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Arroyo strained his left hamstring just as Boston was preparing to give him a look as its primary first baseman, and the fact that he won't be ready to move past the injury quickly likely means that he won't be guaranteed a meaningful role once he eventually returns. Boston is expected to rely on a combination of Bobby Dalbec, Michael Chavis and Franchy Cordero to hold down the fort at first base in the meantime, with the team presumably hoping that one of the three catches fire at the plate and seizes control of the everyday gig.

Semien went 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and two runs scored in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Mets.

Semien scored in the sixth and eighth innings and collected his third multi-hit game since the All-Star break. The veteran infielder went 4-for-9 with four runs and three extra-base hits over the weekend, raising his season OPS to .873 through 428 plate appearances. Still, he's just 15-for-66 (.227) with 15 strikeouts in July.

Torres went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Red Sox.

The shortstop has had a green light on the basepaths lately with four stolen bases in his last four games. Torres has a career-high 10 steals this season. He's hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, going 13-for-42 (.310) with three home runs, nine RBI, five runs scored and three doubles in that span.

Lopez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Hanser Alberto will pick up the start at shortstop for the lefty-hitting Lopez, who takes a seat with southpaw Tarik Skubal on the hill for Detroit. Lopez had started in each of Kansas City's first 17 games of July, slashing .339/.413/.429 with zero home runs, one stolen base, nine runs and 10 RBI.

Castro is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

After starting four consecutive games heading into the weekend, Castro has now been on the bench for two of the Tigers' three games in Kansas City this weekend. Willi Castro looks set to serve as the Tigers' regular second baseman while Niko Goodrum (calf) and Isaac Paredes (hip) are on the shelf, resulting in Harold Castro serving as more of a utility man.

Short is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in Sunday's game against the Royals.

Short returns to the lineup after a one-game absence. Willi Castro was recently recalled from Triple-A Toledo, but the team has been using him mostly at second base, so Short should remain the team's primary shortstop, at least until Niko Goodrum (calf) returns from the injured list. Harold Castro, who started Saturday, will continue serving in a utility role.

Lopez went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 9-8 win over Detroit.

Lopez made an impact from the No. 9 spot in the order in Saturday's comeback win. The contact-hitting infielder has gone 10-for-24 (.417) with three doubles, seven RBI and six runs scored in his last seven games, including four multi-hit efforts. The 26-year-old isn't in the lineup Sunday for a well-earned day of rest, but he should be available as a pinch hitter if necessary.

Polanco is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels to rest his lower back, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Polanco has recently been playing through the back issue, so he'll receive the day off for the series finale to help manage the injury. The 28-year-old's performance hasn't seemed to be affected by the injury, as he has a 1.006 OPS in nine games since the All-Star break. Nick Gordon will work at the keystone in his place Sunday.