MLB Player News

Altuve went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 5-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Altuve tacked on a key insurance run in the top of the ninth inning, handing his club a two-run lead. The 28-year-old is slashing .317/.388/.456 with 13 homers and 17 stolen bases through 133 games, and he'll serve as a key cog within Houston's offense during its 2018 postseason run.

Andrus is not in the lineup Monday against the Angels.

Andrus is hitting just .179/.247/.284 with two homers through 18 games in September, so he'll head to the bench for Monday's series opener in an attempt to clear his head. Hanser Alberto is starting at shortstop and hitting ninth in this one.

Lowe went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a win over the Blue Jays on Sunday.

Lowe's 392-foot shot off Jose Manuel Fernandez with Joey Wendle aboard in the eighth closed out the scoring on the day for the Rays. The rookie has been knocking the cover off the ball more often than not in September, as 10 (three doubles, two triples, five homers) of his 14 hits during the month have now gone for extra bases, and he's made hard contact at an impressive 39.0 percent rate during that span.

Forsythe (knee) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics.

Forsythe continues to battle the left knee issue and will miss his third straight game. Gregorio Petit will start at second base and bat ninth, as Forsythe will now have Monday's scheduled off-day assist in his recovery.

Altuve went 3-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and was caught stealing in Saturday's 10-5 win over the Angels.

A crazy thing happened on the way to the Astros' victory. A seven-inning pitching duel turned into an absurd eighth inning in which 14 of the game's 15 runs were scored. After the Angels plated five in the top of the inning to take a 5-1 lead, the Astros stormed back with nine runs of their own. Altuve finished off the circus with a two-run home run, his 13th of the season. Since halting a 19-at-bat hitless streak earlier this month, Altuve is 16-for-52 (.308) with a .957 OPS, three homers, nine RBI and 13 runs scored over a 14-game stretch.

Merrifield went 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, two walks, an RBI and a run in a loss to the Tigers on Saturday.

Merrifield roped his second triple and 42nd double of the season off Jordan Zimmermann and Joe Jimenez, respectively. Following this busy night with the bat, the 2017 breakout star continues building on that lore by slashing .304/.369/.441 with 12 homers, 58 RBI, 86 runs and 38 stolen bases -- which ranks him second in big-league thefts behind Trea Turner (41).

Semien went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Saturday against the Twins.

Semien launched his 13th homer of the season off Chase De Jong in the fifth inning, only his second home run since Aug. 28. His .259/.323/.386 slash line is not particularly strong, though he has chipped in 14 stolen bases and 86 runs across 607 at-bats.

Forsythe (knee) isn't in Saturday's starting lineup against the Athletics, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Forsythe will miss his second straight game due to left knee inflammation. The issue isn't expected to be serious, so he should return to the starting nine before the season ends.

Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Royals.

Rodriguez is slashing just .233/.262/.346 in the majors this season, though he's shown decent pop with five home runs in 179 at-bats. The 26-year-old infielder is likely auditioning for a reserve role with the Tigers to begin the 2019 season, though with Jose Iglesias potentially out the door, there could be an opening to fill at shortstop.

Forsythe was held out of Friday's game against Oakland due to a left knee issue, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Forsythe's knee "was not functioning correctly" when he woke up Friday, Twins manager Paul Molitor stated. Forsythe is reportedly battling some inflammation, but the issue isn't believed to be serious, per Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The 31-year-old second baseman will be considered day-to-day moving forward.