MLB Player News

Polanco is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rays due to an illness, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Polanco is apparently available off the bench, so it doesn't sound like the illness is anything overly serious. The hope is that the shortstop will be ready to rejoin the lineup Friday. In the meantime, Ehire Adrianza is starting at shortstop Thursday.

Polanco is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rays, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Polanco has started 16 straight games for the Twins, slashing .333/405/.485 with two homers, one stolen base and an 8:12 BB:K during that stretch. In his place, Ehire Adrianza is starting at shortstop and hitting seventh in Thursday's series opener.

Chavis is not in the lineup Thursday against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Chavis will retreat to the bench for what appears to be a routine day off following a string of 18 straight starts; the youngster hit .250/.313/.408 with four homers and 14 RBI during that stretch. In his place, Steve Pearce is starting at first base while Eduardo Nunez occupies the keystone.

Arroyo was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Andrew Velazquez was sent to the minors in a corresponding move, while Arroyo should be available for Thursday's series opener against the Twins. The 24-year-old infielder has spent most of the season with Durham, slashing .314/.381/.603 with eight homers and 29 RBI in 33 games for the Bulls. Arroyo has yet to put it together at the major-league level, evidenced by his .214 average and .596 OPS across parts of three big-league seasons (60 games), so look for him to offer a right-handed bat off the bench during his time with the big club.

Semien went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and two runs overall in an extra-innings loss to the Angels on Wednesday.

Semien made big noise out of the leadoff spot for the second straight game, slugging his seventh homer of the season. Semien has endured a rough month at the plate overall, but he's heading into June with some momentum. Factoring in Wednesday's production, he's hitting .300 (12-for-40) with three doubles, a triple, two homers, four RBI, six walks and 10 runs across the last 10 games.

Lowe went 2-for-6 with a two-run double and another two-bagger in an extra-innings win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Lowe's offense was a particularly welcome sight coming off a 3-for-17 tally over the prior five games. The 24-year-old does now have a pair of two-RBI efforts over his last four games and is slashing a solid .278/.332/.533 with 23 extra-base hits (11 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs) and 32 RBI overall across 196 plate appearances.

Chavis started at first base for a second straight game Wednesday and will remain a regular in the lineup, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports. "We'll find at-bats for (Chavis), somehow, somewhere," manager Alex Cora said.

Chavis, who had been the regular second baseman for the last month, moved to first base the last two games with Mitch Moreland (back) unavailable and landing on the injured list Wednesday. The recently activated Brock Holt started at second base for the second straight contest. While Cora finds opportunities for both Holt and Eduardo Nunez, Chavis should be a fixture in the everyday lineup. He'll receive the bulk of at-bats at first base over Steve Pearce and can move back to second when Pearce is in the lineup.

Kemp started at second base for a second straight game, going 0-for-2 and getting hit by a pitch in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Cubs.

Kemp is in line for more playing time in the short term as Jose Altuve and Aledmys Diaz work their way back from hamstring injuries. Both injured players will be out at least one more week. It's an opportunity to get more consistent plate appearances for Kemp, who is batting .222 and has one hit over his last 15 at-bats.

Lopez went 2-for-5 with a triple, a run scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to the White Sox.

The rookie had gone 0-for-17 over his prior four games, but Lopez snapped out of it emphatically with his first career three-bagger and his first RBI since his debut. His .237/.308/.322 slash line so far doesn't jump off the page, but the 24-year-old is getting a look in the leadoff spot, and his 6:11 BB:K through 14 big-league games suggests he might be able to handle the assignment.

Torres went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the Yankees' 7-0 win over the Padres on Wednesday.

It was the 14th long ball of the season for Torres, who touched up Adam Warren with a two-run shot in the seventh inning to help pad the lead for the Yankees. The young infielder is enjoying a fine start at the dish in his second MLB season, slashing .288/.330/.551 through 205 at-bats.