MLB Player News
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Luis Arraez 2B | SF
Twins' Luis Arraez: On bench for Game 2
Arraez isn't starting the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Royals.
Arraez recorded two hits while striking out once in the first game of the twin bill, but he'll get a breather for Game 2. Marwin Gonzalez will shift to second base with Ehire Adrianza starting at the hot corner.
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Gleyber Torres 2B | DET
Yankees' Gleyber Torres: Perfect at plate Friday
Torres went 4-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs in Friday's win against the Red Sox.
Torres has been going through a bit of a slump to begin the season, but he's now reached base in each of the past six contests. He had just his third extra-base hit Friday, but he contributed to the Yankees' offensive onslaught in the 10-3 win over Boston. The 23-year-old now has a .619 OPS with one home run, five RBI and 13 strikeouts this season.
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Cavan Biggio RF | HOU
Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio: Swats fifth homer
Biggio went 1-for-2 with a walk, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Friday's win over the Rays.
The 25-year-old is up to five homers on the year, with three of them coming in the last week. Biggio's .206/.324/.460 slash line through 16 games is less impressive, but his power and patience profile (with a little bit of speed -- he has three steals in three attempts) still gives him solid fantasy value in most formats.
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Jonathan Arauz 3B | LAD
Red Sox's Jonathan Arauz: In mix at second base
Arauz has worked his way into the rotation at second base, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Arauz started at second base Friday with Jose Peraza (knee) recovering, but manager Ron Roenicke suggested Arauz may have played even without Peraza's injury. "That's why he's out there. Just because he's played so well recently," Roenicke said. After an 0-for-9 start to the season, Arauz has hit safely in five straight games, going 9-for-17 with a double and four RBI.
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Marcus Semien 2B | NYM
Athletics' Marcus Semien: Racks up two hits
Semien went 2-for-5 with a double in Friday's win over the Giants.
Semien was one of two Oakland players who mustered more than one hit against the Giants pitching staff, and the star shortstop has been seeing the ball well of late -- he has hit safely in three straight games and in six of Oakland's last seven contests, hitting .290 with an .823 OPS in that stretch. He is beginning to turn things around after a slow start to the season.
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Jose Altuve 2B | HOU
Astros' Jose Altuve: Returns to lineup
Altuve returned to the lineup Friday and went 0-for-5 with an RBI in an 11-1 win over the Mariners.
Houston manager Dusty Baker gave Altuve a two-day mental break from playing, but it did not snap him out of an early-season funk. "Good hitters go through slumps that they're not accustomed to," Baker told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. "Altuve can hit. He's chasing bad pitches and taking good pitches. Every time you look up, you got two strikes on you. Altuve's been hitting all his life, it's just a matter of time until Altuve hits again." The second baseman has a .563 OPS over 88 plate appearances.
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Brandon Lowe 2B | PIT
Rays' Brandon Lowe: Homers in third consecutive game
Lowe went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and three RBI in Friday's loss to the Blue Jays.
Lowe remained hot in Friday's series opener against the Blue Jays, but the Rays' bullpen struggled late in the game. Lowe has multiple RBI in each of the past three games, and he's carrying a 1.096 OPS with six home runs and 19 RBI over the first 20 games of the season.
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Tony Kemp 2B | MIN
Athletics' Tony Kemp: Could shift up to second in order
Kemp is a candidate to fill the No. 2 spot in the order during Ramon Laureano's four-game suspension, which begins Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The veteran infielder has seen action in 13 of the Athletics' first 17 games, slashing .259/.429/.259 across 36 plate appearances. Kemp has yet to hit any higher than eighth in his 10 starts during that span, but his 22.2 percent walk rate and speed make him a candidate for a spot near the top of the order against right-handed pitching.
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Xavier Edwards 2B | MIA
Rays' Xavier Edwards: Joins player pool
Edwards was added to the Rays' player pool Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Edwards came over from the Padres in the Tommy Pham trade over the winter. He's an interesting prospect, with plenty of speed and the ability to hit for average, though he's unlikely to help the Rays this season as he's yet to reach Double-A.