MLB Player News

Joseph went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Astros.

Joseph swung at the first pitch he saw from Aaron Sanchez in the fourth inning and launched his first major league home run. The 30-year-old, now with his fifth organization, joined the A's on Wednesday in place of Jurickson Profar at second base. Joseph batted .371/.421/.585 with 13 home runs across 425 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season.

Lowe (lower leg) started at second base for the Gulf Coast League Rays against the Orioles on Thursday and logged four innings while going 0-for-2.

Lowe was able to jump back into game action for the first time since July 2, as his recovery has taken much longer than initially anticipated. Lowe will eventually move his rehab assignment up to a higher level of the minors, but he might need to put in a full game in the field first before that comes to pass. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Lowe will be reevaluated at Tropicana Field on Friday before resuming his rehab assignment Saturday at a to-be-determined minor-league affiliate.

Jackson went 3-for-5 with three homers and five RBI in a victory over Idaho Falls on Thursday.

Jackson, currently the Angels' fifth-ranked prospect, crushed homers in the first, third, and sixth innings. He has now hit 20 long balls in 203 at-bats for rookie-level Orem this season.

Beckham will start at second base and bat ninth Thursday against the Mariners.

He'll crack the lineup for just the second time in eight games as a de facto replacement for shortstop Jordy Mercer, who is receiving a maintenance day. As a 32-year-old on an expiring deal for a club that enters Thursday 45 games under .500, Beckham isn't expected to see an uptick in opportunities in the final few weeks of the season.

Altuve went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and three runs overall Wednesday against the White Sox.

Altuve took Evan Marshall deep in the eighth inning, briefly knotting the game at nine. It was his 22nd homer of the season, nearing his career-best mark of 24 that he posted in both the 2016 and 2017 seasons. While Altuve continues to deliver at the plate to the tune of .307/.368/.561 line, he has managed just four steals -- putting him on pace for the lowest total of his career by a wide margin.

Castro went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Mariners.

Castro has shown some skills at the plate this season, and he's now batting .285 after the three-hit performance. The 25-year-old doesn't offer a ton of pop -- he has just a .687 OPS and three home runs through 60 games -- but he's certainly earned himself regular playing time on a Detroit team badly in need of any offensive output.

Andrus went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI in a 7-3 victory against the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Coming into the afternoon, Andrus was on a 3-for-21 (.143) skid and had four hits in his last seven games. Reaching that total in Wednesday's game alone probably indicates Andrus is ready to emerge from his slump. He is batting .285 with nine home runs, 57 RBI, 57 runs and 25 steals in 438 at-bats this season.

Joseph is expected to occupy the strong side of a platoon at second base going forward, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

He displaces Jurickson Profar as the primary second baseman in Oakland. Joseph, who is starting at the keystone and hitting seventh Wednesday against the Giants, is a 30-year-old journeyman, with the A's representing is fifth organization. He only has 26 career MLB plate appearances, but this year he has hit .371/.421/.585 with 13 home runs and a 10.8 percent strikeout rate in 425 plate appearances at Triple-A. Chad Pinder and Profar are expected to compete for starts against lefties.

Lowe (lower leg) could begin a rehab assignment with the Rays' rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate as soon as Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe's recovery from a right lower leg bruise has taken longer than anticipated, but the 25-year-old has seemed to make some encouraging progress while working out at the Rays' spring-training complex in recent days. He'll likely play a few games in the GCL before advancing his rehab to a higher-level affiliate, which would mark the final step before his eventual reinstatement from the 10-day injured list.

Joseph's contract was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, and he will start at second base against the Giants, batting seventh.

The move was widely expected, and Joseph will get his first chance to start for the Athletics on Wednesday. The 30-year-old has slashed .371/.421/.585 with 13 home runs and 73 RBI for Triple-A Las Vegas this season. Nick Martini was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas and Beau Taylor was designated for assignment in corresponding moves.