MLB Player News

Semien went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in a loss to the Angels on Thursday.

Semien once again served as a catalyst out of the leadoff spot, churning out his first multi-hit effort since June 19 in the process. The veteran shortstop is hitting .299 overall in June, a resurgent month following a middling May during which he hit a forgettable .206. Semien has also compiled 16 RBI since the calendar flipped, easily his best monthly figure in that category this season.

Kemp entered Thursday's game after left fielder Yordan Alvarez was removed due to a knee injury, going 1-for-3 in a 10-0 loss to the Pirates.

Kemp entered the game in the fourth inning after Alvarez aggravated a leg injury while chasing down a flyball. Alvarez was coping with discomfort after fouling a ball of his left leg Tuesday but was able to continue on as the designated hitter. If Alvarez can't play Friday, expect to see Michael Brantley, who was the DH on Thursday, slot in at left field instead of Kemp.

Brujan was promoted to Double-A Montgomery on Thursday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Brujan earned a promotion after excelling in a 44-game return trip to High-A Charlotte, slashing .290/.357/.386 with 12 extra-base hits (eight doubles, two triples and a home run) and 24 stolen bases (in 29 attempts).

Arraez will start in left field and bat fifth Thursday against the Rays.

A utility infielder by trade, Arraez will receive his first big-league start in the outfield with Eddie Rosario (ankle) labeled as day-to-day and all of Byron Buxton (wrist), Marwin Gonzalez (hamstring), Ehire Adrianza (abdomen) and Willians Astudillo (oblique) on the injured list. Even though he may not be an ideal defensive fit in the outfield, Arraez would carry some intrigue for fantasy purposes if he ends up seeing regular work. The rookie has displayed a polished hit tool in his limited MLB action to date, going 19-for-42 (.452 average) with only two strikeouts.

Beckham will start at second base and bat eighth Thursday against the Rangers.

Beckham will stick in the lineup for the fourth straight contest, signaling that manager Ron Gardenhire at least tentatively views him as the top option at the keystone. The veteran is batting just .171 in June and likely doesn't have much of a future with the rebuilding Tigers, so his standing atop the depth chart appears quite shaky.

Lowe is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The Rays will move four lefty-hitting regulars (Lowe, Austin Meadows, Ji-Man Choi and Joey Wendle) to the bench with southpaw Martin Perez toeing the rubber for Minnesota in the series finale. With Lowe sitting, Michael Brosseau will pick up a start at the keystone.

The Athletics purchased Motter's contract from the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball on Tuesday and assigned him to Double-A Midland.

After being cut by the Tigers in mid-May, Motter quickly moved on to the independent ranks to continue his career. The Athletics saw enough from Motter during his 33-game stint with New Britain to give him a look, but he's unlikely to serve as anything more than a depth option in the high minors during his time with the organization.

Semien went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a win over the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Semien's 401-foot shot to center in the fifth represented the second run in a six-run rally for the Athletics during the inning. The blast was the 28-year-old's first round tripper since June 15, but it extended what has been a successful all-around month at the plate for Semien. Factoring in Tuesday's production, he's hitting .306 during the current month while racking up 11 extra-base hits (six doubles, one triple, four home runs) and 15 RBI.

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run Tuesday in the Royals' 8-6 win over the Indians.

Merrifield's base knock in the top of the ninth helped fuel the Royals' comeback from a three-run deficit and gave him two hits for the third consecutive contest. The 30-year-old previously notched three consecutive multi-hit games in April and will look to establish a new season-long streak in Wednesday's series finale. He'll lead off and man left field, marking his first start of the season at that position.

Biggio will start at second base and bat leadoff Wednesday against the Yankees.

Normal table setter Eric Sogard is receiving a breather for the day game after the night game, so Biggio will settle in atop the order for the first time since June 14. Biggio owns a robust .352 on-base percentage through his first 27 games in the big leagues, but his elevated strikeout rate (28.6 percent) has played a major part in limiting his average to a pedestrian .221. The rookie has at least made some progress on that front lately, as he'll carry a four-game hitting streak into the series finale.