MLB Player News

Albies went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's loss to the Nationals.

The second baseman accounted for half of Atlanta's hits on the afternoon, and he crossed the plate with the team's only run in the ninth inning. Since seeing a 17-game hitting streak come to an end May 5, Albies fell into a funk, batting .059 (2-for-34) over the subsequent nine contests, but he may be coming out of it. Across his last eight games, he's batting .258 (8-for-31) with four RBI and seven runs, although his homer drought stands at 18 games.

Marte went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's 9-1 victory over the Rockies.

Marte led the game off with a double before adding a two-RBI two-bagger in the second inning as part of a three-hit effort. The switch-hitter has been scorching hot at the plate of late, going 15-for-28 (.536) with three homers, four doubles, 12 RBI and 11 runs over the past seven games. The recent surge has pushed the second baseman's overall numbers in the right direction, as Marte is slashing .262/.316/.456 with 20 extra-base hits (eight homers), 27 RBI and 32 runs across 49 games.

Castro (back) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

The Rockies will hold Castro out of the lineup for the series finale after he was scratched prior to Saturday's 5-4 loss due to lower-back tightness. Edouard Julien will join the starting nine as Castro's replacement at second base Sunday.

Marte went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, a walk and two total runs scored in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Rockies.

Marte's power has come back in a big way this week with three homers over his last five games. This was his sixth multi-hit effort over his last nine contests, a span in which he's batting .432 (16-for-37) with six extra-base hits and nine RBI. The second baseman is batting .251 with a .748 OPS, eight homers, 24 RBI, 29 runs scored, eight doubles, two triples and no stolen bases over 48 contests while regularly hitting out of the leadoff spot.

Castro has been scratched from the lineup for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks due to low-back tightness.

TJ Rumfield will now start at first base with Sterlin Thompson at DH, opening up right field for Tyler Freeman against right-hander Zac Gallen. While the severity of Castro's injury is unknown, it's poor timing for the 29-year-old, as he was showing signs of life with eight hits in his last 21 at-bats.

Julien isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Arizona.

Julien's recent 0-for-25 stretch at the plate will leave him out of the starting nine for a third consecutive game. His absence from the lineup will allow Chad Stevens to start at second base, batting eighth.

Arraez went 2-for-5 with an RBI in Friday's 9-4 loss to the White Sox.

Arraez hit an RBI single in the fifth inning and added another base hit in the seventh. The 29-year-old has tallied at least one hit in six of his last seven games, batting .429 with five runs scored, four RBI and two homers in 32 plate appearances during that span. Overall, he's slashing .321/.359/.421 with 21 runs scored, 18 RBI, four stolen bases and two long balls across 209 plate appearances this season.

McLain isn't in the lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against St. Louis.

McLain will begin Saturday's festivities on the bench after going just 1-for-14 with five strikeouts during Cincinnati's last series against the Phillies. Spencer Steer will shift to second base in McLain's stead, opening up first base for Nathaniel Lowe.

Julien isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against Arizona.

Julien will miss out on the starting nine for a second consecutive game after going 0-for-25 with nine strikeouts across his last nine games. Willi Castro will draw the start at second base, and Sterlin Thompson will work as Colorado's designated hitter.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk Thursday against the Cardinals.

Lowe gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the first inning with what was originally scored as an inside-the-park home run, but it was later ruled a traditional homer. He has now gone yard 13 times in his first 44 games as a Pirate. Lowe also has at least one hit in five of his last six starts, and he's gone 8-for-26 with three homers, four RBI and four runs scored in that span.