MLB Player News

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a two-run single in a win over the Royals on Wednesday.

The rookie had found success at the plate elusive in the early going of his big-league career, so Wednesday's two-RBI night was a much-needed surge. Lowe entered the game hitting just .091 over his first 10 contests, but his work at Triple-A Durham before his promotion (.304/.380/.613 line over 205 plate appearances) implies he's more than capable of hitting his way out of the early slump.

Altuve went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 10-7 win over Seattle.

This was Altuve's second game back from the disabled list, and he showed his previously injured knee was no longer an issue by stealing his 15th base. The second baseman has batted second the last two games, but should be back at his customary third spot in the order when George Springer (quadriceps) is ready to play again.

Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two strikeouts in Wednesday's loss to the Rays.

Merrifield got the Royals on the board in the fourth inning with the solo shot, his ninth of the season. The 29-year-old is working on an 11-game hitting streak, going 16-for-43 (.372) with a couple of homers and seven RBI in that stretch. Kansas City ranks dead last in runs per game, so there won't be many run-scoring or producing opportunities for Merrifield, but he's more than holding his own with a .302 average and 27 steals.

Solarte (oblique) will be re-evaluated this week and hopes to receive clearance to begin throwing, Jenn Smith of Sporting News reports.

Solarte recently started up a core-strengthening program as he works his way back from a right oblique injury. The infielder said that his oblique has responded well to the exercises, so he's hopeful that he'll be able to resume baseball activities in the coming days. He'll likely require a minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated from the 10-day disabled list and seems to be trending toward a September return.

Altuve went 0-for-3 with a walk in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Seattle.

Altuve returned to the lineup after missing 21 games due to a knee injury.

Polanco went 1-for-5 with two RBI in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.

Polanco slashed a two-run single in the ninth inning off Jace Fry to extend the Twins' lead. Polanco is hitting .246 with two homers and 13 RBI over his last 15 games, and his season slash line stands at .272/.333/.396 across 44 games for the season.

A bone scan revealed Drury's fractured left hand is healing well, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

Drury was able to transition to a removable splint. He's set to undergo follow-up imaging in another 10 days, after which a more concrete timetable for his return will hopefully emerge. The 26-year-old has been on the disabled list since Aug. 7.

Altuve (knee) was activated from the disabled list Tuesday.

As expected, Altuve is back with the Astros after missing a little more than three weeks with a knee injury. The reigning AL MVP, who is hitting .329/.392/.464 with nine homers and 14 stolen bases this season, will face right-hander Mike Leake in his first game back. Kyle Tucker was optioned to Triple-A Fresno to free up a roster spot for Altuve.

Semien went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and two runs in a win over the Rangers on Monday.

The 27-year-old shortstop has now reached safely in nine straight contests, generating a quartet of multi-hit efforts over that stretch. Semien has also broken out of an extended power drought, smacking three home runs in that span after not leaving the yard in 43 games between June 19 and Aug. 10.

The Astros plan to activate Altuve (knee) prior to Tuesday's game against the Mariners, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The team hasn't fully committed to this, and they will probably wait to see how Altuve feels when he gets to the ballpark, but it sounds like he will be back in time to only miss one game this week, which makes him a viable option in most weekly formats. Yuli Gurriel is starting at second base Monday.