MLB Player News

Rodriguez is not in the lineup Friday against the Indians.

With Jose Iglesias done for the year due to an abdominal strain, Rodriguez appears to be the starter going forward at shortstop. He won't get the call Friday, however, with Pete Kozma starting instead.

Solarte is not in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Yankees, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Solarte is out of the lineup after starting the last two games, and he's gone 3-for-11 with a strikeout since coming off the disabled list last Sunday. Devon Travis will start at second base while Aledmys Diaz remains at third base.

Merrifield went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and a stolen base Thursday against the Twins.

Merrifield remained aggressive on the basepaths and has now swiped six bags in his past six starts. As a result, he leads the American League in steals (36) and is just two shy of major-league leader Trea Turner. He's supplemented that production with an impressive on-base percentage (.367) and 78 runs scored across 563 at-bats.

Lowe went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run in a win over the Indians on Wednesday.

Lowe's first big-league three-bagger served as his third extra-base hit over the last five contests and snapped the 1-for-10 mini-skid he'd endured over the prior three games. The rookie has enjoyed a productive month thus far after showing signs of improvement in late August, as he's batting a solid .294 with three doubles, Wednesday's triple, a home run and seven RBI across 37 September plate appearances.

Altuve is not in the lineup against Detroit on Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve will receive a standard breather after starting the past seven games and 19 of the last 20. During his current six-game hit streak, Altuve has slashed .308/.379/.577 with two home runs and three RBI. In his place, Yuli Gurriel will start at second base.

Altuve batted leadoff and went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Tigers.

Altuve moved into the leadoff spot because George Springer was given a day off and promptly took Jordan Zimmerman's first pitch over the wall in left. The homer was Altuve's second in three games and extended his hitting streak to six games. The second baseman had been slumping, going hitless in 19 consecutive at-bats before starting the six-game streak. It also appears that Altuve's knee is fine after he banged it in a game Monday.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs and two stolen bases in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Merrifield stole second in the fifth inning and proceeded to steal third on a double-steal to give him 33 stolen bases on the year. Merrifield now ranks second in the majors in steals and his .303 batting average and 74 runs both rank within the top 10 among MLB second basemen. He also leads his team in doubles (36) and on-base percentage (.366) to round out what has been another highly productive season.

Kemp went 2-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Tigers.

Kemp continued his hot hitting and is 8-for-21 (.381 average) with a home run and four RBI in July. The current health of the Astros' outfield leaves the 26-year-old without a true starting role, but he has played well enough as a fill-in to secure semi-regular opportunities.

Solarte is not starting Tuesday in Boston.

Solarte started in his first game back from an oblique injury but won't get to start two in a row. Devon Travis will start at second base, with Aledmys Diaz remaining the third baseman.

Altuve banged his knee while attempting to turn a double play in Monday's win over the Tigers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. He stayed in the game and finished 1-for-4.

Altuve had spent nearly a month on the disabled list earlier this season with soreness in the same knee, so there was some concern following the play. The second baseman said he was a little sore, but is confident he can play Tuesday.