MLB Player News

Altuve was activated from the COVID-19 injured list as expected Monday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Altuve was hitting .318/.380/.455 through 50 plate appearances before testing positive for coronavirus. He was shut down for just shy of two weeks and will try to return to that level of performance against lefty Justus Sheffield and the Mariners on Monday.

Rengifo was optioned to the Angels' alternate training site Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Rengifo was an option at third base while Anthony Rendon (groin) was on the 10-day injured list, but he had been out of the lineup in four of the last six games. He'll now return to the alternate training site after Rendon was reinstated from the injured list in a corresponding move.

Altuve (illness) is slated to be activated from the COVID-19 injured list ahead of Monday's game against the Mariners, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros were optimistic that Altuve would be able to return in time for Monday's game, and manager Dusty Baker confirmed that the second baseman is expected to be back in the lineup. Altuve had tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-April but rejoined his teammates over the weekend and has been participating in baseball activities ahead of his return to game action.

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a run, one RBI and two stolen bases in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Tigers.

Merrifield put the Royals on the board with an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning Sunday, and his two stolen bases marked the third time that he has swiped multiple bags in a game this year. The 32-year-old is slashing .284/.322/.444 with three home runs, 14 RBI, 14 runs and eight stolen bases in 2021.

Arroyo's X-rays on his left hand came back negative Sunday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Arroyo stayed in Sunday's game against the Mariners after he was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat of the contest. He underwent scans after the game as a precaution, but his X-rays revealed no structural damage. The 25-year-old appears to have avoided a significant injury and could be available for the start of the team's two-game series against the Mets on Tuesday.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Arroyo would undergo X-rays on his left hand after the infielder was struck by a pitch during Sunday's 5-3 win over the Mariners, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Arroyo was examined by a trainer after he was hit by the pitch in his first at-bat of the day, but he stayed in the contest and played all nine innings in the series finale. If the X-rays reveal no structural damage to Arroyo's hand, he could be available for the start of the Red Sox's two-game series with the Mets on Tuesday.

Astros general manager James Click said that he's "optimistic" Altuve (illness) will be ready to return from the COVID-19 injured list ahead of Monday's game against the Angels, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Click's comments essentially align with what manager Dusty Baker said earlier Sunday about the status of Altuve, who appears to be in the process of getting re-conditioned at this stage after recovering from a positive COVID-19 test. The Astros will have a seven-game schedule during the upcoming week, so fantasy managers could be incentivized to activate Altuve right away rather than waiting to see how he fares in his return from the illness.

Rengifo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.

He'll sit for the third time in five games while Jose Rojas takes over at third base. Rengifo and Rojas are both expected to see their opportunities take a hit within the next few days, as the Angels will likely activate Anthony Rendon (groin) from the 10-day injured list at some point during the team's upcoming series with the Rangers.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that he anticipates Altuve (illness) will be ready to return from the COVID-19 injured list early in the upcoming week, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

After completing a quarantine and gaining clearance to rejoin the Astros this weekend, Altuve disclosed that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. He doesn't appear to have experienced any significant symptoms as a result of contracting the virus, but he'll still likely need another day or two to regain conditioning before the Astros are comfortable activating him. Altuve was spotted fielding groundballs prior to Sunday's game, so it's at least encouraging that he's taking part in baseball activities again.

The White Sox optioned Mendick to their alternate training site Sunday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Mendick hadn't appeared in any of the White Sox's last three games, so the reserve infielder was deemed expendable with the team requiring an extra reliever due to none of Liam Hendriks, Aaron Bummer and Codi Heuer being available for Sunday's series finale against the Rangers. The White Sox recalled Jonathan Stiever in a corresponding move, and he should be capable of filling multiple innings behind starter Michael Kopech.