MLB Player News

Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Toledo and is starting at first base and batting sixth Sunday against the Royals.

Rodriguez swung a hot bat for the Tigers from mid-April through mid-May, but then proceeded to hit .140 with 32 strikeouts in 31 games from May 15 to June 30 before being banished to the minors. He will offer infield depth for the big club going forward. JaCoby Jones (wrist fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Torres (core pain) is starting at shortstop and hitting sixth Sunday against the Blue Jays, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

He missed four games with the core issue but wound up avoiding a stint on the injured list. Torres is hitting .242 with four home runs and one steal in 24 games since the All-Star break.

Lopez is not in Sunday's lineup against the Tigers.

He will sit for a second day in a row and is hitting just .198 with zero home runs and zero steals in 86 at-bats since the All-Star break. Humberto Arteaga starts at shortstop and will hit eighth.

Altuve went 3-for-6 with a home run, a double, three runs scored and three RBI in Saturday's 23-2 win at Baltimore.

The Astros set a franchise record for runs scored in a single game with 23, and Altuve made his mark early on with a two-run homer in the first inning. The 29-year-old is tearing it up since the All-Star break with a .387/.438/.748 slash line and 10 home runs in 26 games.

Manager Aaron Boone said Torres (core pain) will "probably" be an option to start Sunday at Toronto, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Torres took batting practice and fielded grounders at second base prior to Saturday's contest but remained out of the lineup. The 22-year-old has sat the last four games while recovering from the core issue but appears slated to make his return Sunday.

Lopez is not in Saturday's lineup against the Tigers.

He is 4-for-25 with zero home runs and zero steals in seven games this month. Humberto Arteaga is starting at shortstop and hitting ninth.

Torres (core pain) is out of the lineup Saturday against the Blue Jays but was able to take batting practice on the field prior to the game, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Torres also took grounders at second base -- something he didn't do Friday. He will sit for a fourth straight game, but it sounds like he could be available off the bench and may be able to rejoin the lineup Sunday. DJ LeMahieu is starting at second base and leading off Saturday.

Lowe (shin) had his best day of running Friday according to Rays' major-league medical coordinator Paul Harker, but the infielder still needs to progress to explosive running before beginning a rehab assignment, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The news seemingly continues to be optimistic for Lowe, who's been engaging in a variety of baseball activities since the month began. However, he still remains a couple of steps away from running full speed, and he'll need a multi-game rehab assignment before being deemed ready for activation. However, Kramer reports that the chances of Lowe returning at some point during the Rays' next homestand, which begins next Friday and runs through Aug. 21, remain high.

Manager Aaron Boone stated that although Torres (abdomen) could play Saturday, he won't be in the starting lineup against the Blue Jays, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

Torres did some fielding work indoors Friday, and he evidently fared well enough for the Yankees to consider using him off the bench Saturday. He's been sidelined with a core injury since Tuesday.

Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Friday night against the Tigers.

Merrifield completed one of the most exciting plays in the baseball in the first inning, hitting an inside-the-park home run. However, his team would drop the second game of the series by a score of 5-2. Through 117 games this season, Merrifield is slashing .303/.358/.485 with 13 homers, 56 RBI and 16 stolen bases.