MLB Player News

Castro went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Indians.

In a tough season offensively for the Tigers, Castro has been a bright spot, as he's now batting .317 with a .783 OPS. The 25-year-old has just two home runs in 126 at-bats, so power isn't a huge part of his game, but his ability to get on base has been a welcome sight in Detroit. Expect Castro to keep getting regular playing time as long as he hits.

Barreto sits for the second straight game Thursday against the Twins, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Barreto had started nine times in a stretch of 11 games but may be losing his spot as the primary second baseman. It's hard to say he deserves regular playing time based on his .152/.176/.364 slash line in 10 games so far this season. Jurickson Profar again starts at second base.

Polanco is not in the lineup Thursday against Oakland.

Polanco sits for the first time in nearly a month. He's been in a bit of a slump since his last day off, hitting .250/.291/.385 in 21 games after posting a .326/.387/.543 line over his first 69 contests. Ehire Adrianza starts at shortstop in his absence.

Torres is out of the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader with the Rays, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Torres had been scheduled to receive Wednesday's game off before inclement weather resulted in a postponement. Despite the built-in rest day, Torres will sit for the first half of the doubleheader, but he should be back in the starting nine for the second game. Gio Urshela will pick up a start at third base in Torres' stead.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 11-2 win over the Angels.

Altuve recorded his fourth multi-hit game in the last five contests, going 11-for-24 with seven RBI and seven runs scored during that run. He's clearly been impacted by a hamstring injury that caused him to miss five weeks, but the recent production is a positive sign his swing is back to normal. His baserunning impact, however, may not be the same as in recent years. The stolen base was just his third of the season, well off the pace he's set since becoming a regular in 2012.

Forsythe went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 19-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Forsythe slotted in at first base in place of the left-handed-hitting Ronald Guzman against Arizona southpaw Robbie Ray. Guzman is not getting many opportunities against lefties, so guys like Forsythe and Danny Santana have been filling in at first base. Forsythe, a pleasant surprise for the Rangers earlier this season, is batting just .152 over his last 24 games.

Merrifield went 3-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored, two walks and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-5 victory over the White Sox

Merrifield got on base in each plate appearance, recording back-to-back three-hit games for the first time in his career. It's been a scorching hot campaign for the 30-year-old, whose current 15-game hitting streak is the longest active one in the majors. Merrifield is slashing .316/.369/.511 with 12 home runs, 69 runs scored, 48 RBI and 15 steals overall this season.

Torres will be on the bench for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

Torres gets his first day off of the second half. DJ LeMahieu slides over to second base in his absence, with Gio Urshela starting at third.

Barreto is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

Barreto started nine of the last 11 games prior to Wednesday's contest, though it's hard to say he deserves a starting role, as he's hit .152/.176/.364 on the season through 10 games. Jurickson Profar starts at second base in his absence.

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and two runs in an 11-0 victory against the White Sox on Tuesday.

While this was only Merrifield's first homer of July, he does have four doubles and is on a 14-game hitting streak. During the streak, he now has six multi-hit contests. Dating back to June 20, Merrifield has 21 hits in his last 22 games. Merrifield is batting .311 with 12 home runs, 47 RBI, 68 runs and 14 steals in 402 at-bats this season.