MLB Player News

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 5-1 win over the Yankees.

Altuve had gone 24 consecutive games without a homer, but has gone yard twice in the last three games. He has extra-base hits in each of the last four games, recording two home runs, a triple and three doubles during a stretch in which he's gone an astounding 11-for-19 with seven RBI. Altuve raised his slugging percentage 64 points (to .467) over the four-game run.

Andrus (elbow) hit off a tee Monday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Andrus has been taking dry swings and recently started swinging a regular bat, but Monday marked the first time the 29-year-old was able to hit off a tee since landing on the disabled list April 12. He's eligible to return from the 60-day DL on June 11; Andrus would likely need to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment in the next week if he wants to rejoin the Rangers when first eligible.

Motter was claimed off waivers by the Twins on Monday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Motter has quickly found a new home after being designated for assignment by the Mariners on Sunday. He compiled a lackluster .197/.279/.367 slash line across 165 plate appearances with Triple-A Tacoma this season, but his ability to play multiple positions likely intrigued Minnesota. The utility man will report to Triple-A Rochester, where he'll serve as organizational depth.

Arroyo went 2-for-2 with a two-run single, a double, two walks and a run in a win over the Orioles on Sunday.

Arroyo continues to capitalize on his occasional opportunities, as he's now 7-for-17 with a double, a triple and three RBI following Sunday's effort. The 22-year-old is seeing only sporadic playing time, but he's reached safely in five of the six games he's seen action.

Kemp is not in Monday's starting lineup.

This will be the first time Kemp has taken a seat since his call-up from the minors 10 games ago. Marwin Gonzalez will start in left field.

Torres (knee) will start at second base and bat fifth Monday against the Astros, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Though Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated that Torres was held out of lineup Sunday against the Angels while nursing a sore knee, the injury was never anything that was expected to sideline the star rookie more than a day. To little surprise, Torres is back in the starting nine Monday and will occupy his highest spot in the batting order to date after primarily serving as the Yankees' No. 9 hitter this season.

Altuve went 4-for-6 with a double, a run scored and two RBI during Sunday's loss to the Indians.

Altuve hit a clutch RBI single in the eighth to tie the game at three, but the Indians would rally to win 10-9. He's slashing .330/.377/.457 with three home runs and 28 RBI through 54 games, and he's shown no signs of slowing down at the plate. Altuve will look to stay hot at the plate as the Astros begin a three-game series with the Yankees on Monday.

The Mariners designated Motter from assignment Sunday, TJ Cotterill of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Motter totaled 68 starts at six different positions for the Mariners in 2017, but the utility man fell out of favor this season after Seattle picked up another jack-of-all-trades type in Andrew Romine over the winter. Though Dee Gordon's toe injury and Robinson Cano's 80-game suspension have challenged the Mariners' depth in the infield, Motter wasn't viewed as a viable solution after slashing .197/.279/.367 across 165 plate appearances for Triple-A Tacoma this season. The Mariners will now have seven days to trade Motter or expose him to the waiver wire.

Beckham will start at second base and bat eighth Sunday against the Twins, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Beckham has started three of the previous five games at the keystone after Dee Gordon's brief run as the everyday option at that position ended earlier this week when Gordon hit the 10-day disabled list with a fractured toe. Gordon has since resumed infield work and is hopeful to return from the DL when first eligible Thursday, so Beckham wouldn't seem to have much long-term security in his full-time role in the infield.

Torres was held out of the lineup for the Yankees' game Sunday against the Angels in part due to a sore knee, David Lennon of Newsday reports.

According to manager Aaron Boone, Torres first roughed up his knee during Friday's series opener, but the rookie was able to start Saturday, going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. Due to the quick turnaround between games, Boone was reluctant to insert Torres into the field Sunday, but it's fully expected that the 21-year-old will reclaim his starting role at second base when the Yankees kick off a three-game set with the Astros on Monday.