MLB Player News

Rodriguez is not in Saturday's lineup against the Braves.

With the Tigers playing in Atlanta, they do not have the designated hitter spot available, so Niko Goodrum will shift to shortstop while leading off. Rodriguez is in the midst of an 0-for-22 slump with 14 strikeouts over his last seven games.

Chavis entered Friday's game in the second inning after Steve Pearce was removed due to back spasms. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in a 4-1 loss to the Yankees.

Chavis was not in the starting lineup despite the Yankees throwing left-hander J.A. Happ. He had been serving as Boston's leadoff hitter against left-handers recently. When asked why Chavis was not in the lineup, manager Alex Cora told Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald, "I don't want to tell (Yankees manager Aaron Boone) why he didn't play. Sorry, my bad. Just being honest." With both Pearce and Mitch Moreland dealing with back injuries, expect Chavis to be a regular at first base.

Kemp went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Friday's 3-2 win over the Athletics.

Kemp's seventh-inning double plated pinch runner Myles Straw to tie the game before Derek Fisher hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth. Those aren't the names we typically see contributing to an Astros win, but the team will need fill-ins to play a significant role with Jose Altuve (hamstring), George Springer (hamstring) and Carlos Correa (ribs) currently unavailable. Kemp made his third start in the last four games at second base.

Andrus went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored Friday night against the Royals.

Andrus got the Rangers on the board in the sixth inning with an RBI single to center field, and Joey Gallo put an exclamation mark on the frame with a grand slam. Even though Andrus' batting average has dropped in recent weeks (from .326 on May 10 to .308 after Friday's win), he's still been seeing the ball well at the dish, reaching base safely in eight of his last 10 ballgames.

Drury isn't in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Rockies.

Drury is in the midst of a modest three-game hitting streak, but he'll get the night off. Randal Grichuk draws the start in right field, allowing for Jonathan Davis to get the nod in center.

Biggio (illness) is starting at second base and batting sixth Friday night against the Rockies.

Biggo has missed the last few days due to illness, but he appears to have returned to health and will be back in action for the series opener in Colorado. Eric Sogard retreats to the bench as a result.

Polanco (illness) will bat second as the designated hitter Friday at Tampa Bay, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Polanco was absent from Thursday's lineup due to an illness, but he's good to go for Friday's contest. The 25-year-old is on a tear over his last 21 games with a .379/.449/.598 slash line with 15 runs scored, five doubles, four home runs and 15 RBI.

Chavis is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

The Red Sox will keep the same lineup they posted for Thursday's postponed contest versus the Yankees, leaving Chavis on the bench. The 23-year-old is slashing .269/.364/.507 with 10 homers through his first 35 major-league games.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in a win over the Twins on Thursday.

Lowe has now driven in five runs in his last two games and 18 overall during May, as he continues to acquit himself impressively in what is now his longest exposure to big-league arms. The 24-year-old's 11 home runs and 35 RBI outpace his 2018 totals in those categories by five and 10, respectively, despite the fact he's played just six additional games.

Arroyo, who was called up from Triple-A Durham earlier in the day, went 2-for-5 with a two-run double, another two-bagger and two runs in a win over the Twins on Thursday.

Arroyo's second big-league stint of 2019 got off to a strong start after he hit just .214 over a six-game stay with the Rays in April. The 24-year-old had been thriving at Durham, however, slashing .314/.381/.603 over a 33-game sample. Arroyo offers extra depth at the hot corner with Yandy Diaz (hand) still on the injured list, and he could potentially stick after the latter returns if he proves sufficiently productive.