MLB Player News

Torres (back) is starting at shortstop and batting third Friday against the A's.

Torres was removed from Thursday's game with back stiffness, but he's back in the lineup Friday as the injury isn't a serious concern. The 24-year-old is mired in a 1-for-18 slump over his past five games.

Altuve went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 10-2 win over the White Sox.

Altuve busted out the power stick once again, smacking his 16th homer of the year in the sixth inning as a response to the White Sox scoring two in the top half of the inning. The second baseman has homered in three straight contests and belted eight over the last 10 games.

Torres was removed from Thursday's game with back stiffness, but the injury is not considered serious, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

Manager Aaron Boone said that Torres "tweaked his back a little bit," but he also added that the injury doesn't appear serious. It's unclear if Torres will be able to return Friday as the team opens a weekend series against Oakland, though it doesn't appear that he will be in line for a lengthy absence.

Torres was removed from Thursday's game against the Blue Jays with lower back stiffness, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

Torres exited in the middle of Thursday's game, with Rougned Odor taking over at second base and Tyler Wade at shortstop. It's unclear how the injury occured, though Torres is set to undergo further evaluation Friday.

Wong will start at third base and hit sixth Thursday against the Tigers.

Wong will find himself in the lineup for the second time in the last three games with Anthony Rendon (triceps) sitting out. Phil Gosselin had also started at the hot corner, but he will find himself on the bench Thursday.

Rengifo will start at second base and hit eighth Thursday against the Tigers.

Rengifo was recalled to the majors on Thursday and will immediately enter the starting lineup in the absence of Anthony Rendon (triceps). David Fletcher will shift to shortstop and Jose Iglesias will be on the bench.

Rengifo was recalled by the Angels on Thursday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The 24-year-old was recalled to serve as depth along the infield as the team remains without Anthony Rendon (triceps). Rengifo has hit well with Triple-A Salt Lake this season, maintaining a .331/.402/.569 line across 132 plate appearances -- good for a 138 wRC+.

Biggio went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Yankees.

His fifth-inning blast off Gerrit Cole gave the Jays a 2-1 lead, but it was their last gasp of offense on the night. Since returning to action from a neck injury, Biggio has gone 7-for-17 (.412) with three walks, two doubles and three of his six homers on the year.

Semien went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Yankees.

He led off the bottom of the first by taking Gerrit Cole deep. Semien continues to be a bargain for the Jays on the one-year deal he signed in the offseason, and he's on pace for a career year with 16 homers, nine steals, 38 RBI, 47 runs and an .883 OPS through 66 games.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk in Wednesday's win over the Rangers.

After walking off with a grand slam in Tuesday's win, Altuve came back with a leadoff homer off Jordan Lyles on Wednesday. He went deep again in the eighth inning, giving him three homers over his past two games and nine in 15 contests since May 31. Altuve's power surge has pushed him into the top 20 in MLB with 15 homers on the season, and he is also slashing .294/.363/.511 with 36 RBI, two stolen bases and 48 runs.