MLB Player News

Albies went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Brewers.

Albies had hit a cold spell, going 0-for-14 over his previous four contests. He'd also gone 12 games without a homer since he popped a pair of them July 4 in Cleveland. The second baseman's recent slump has him down to a .257/.319/.503 slash line with 23 homers, 69 RBI, 58 runs scored and seven stolen bases through 98 games this season.

Lux (knee) said Saturday that he'll be able to start running on the field at the end of next week and that he could start hitting off a tee in early August, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Lux is recovering from a torn ACL and LCL suffered early in spring training. He began running on a treadmill in late June and is now nearing on-field running. Though this is a sign that he's making good progress, Lux is not expected to return this season. However, there's a strong chance that he'll be fully recovered by spring training next year.

The Cardinals optioned Fermin to Triple-A Memphis on Sunday.

He'll cede his spot on the 26-man active roster to infielder Taylor Motter, whose contract was selected from Memphis in a corresponding move. After receiving the promotion to the majors July 7, Fermin appeared in five games (four starts) and went 1-for-11 with a walk and a run scored.

The Cardinals selected Motter's contract from Triple-A Memphis on Sunday. He'll start at second base and bat eighth in the Cardinals' series finale with the Cubs.

The addition of Motter gives the Cardinals some short-term insurance in the middle infield while Nolan Gorman is day-to-day with back tightness. St. Louis optioned infielder Jose Fermin to Memphis to clear a spot on the 26-man active roster for Motter, who hit .200 over 20 at-bats with the Cardinals earlier this season.

Gorman is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cubs due to back pain, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Manager Oliver Marmol indicated the back issue isn't a serious concern, though Gorman could still be held out of the lineup for a couple days. Taylor Motter will man second base while Brendan Donovan bats leadoff as the designated hitter for Sunday's series finale in Chicago.

Gorman went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Cubs.

Gorman has come out of the All-Star break hot, going 11-for-30 (.367) with three homers and 10 RBI over his last nine games. He's picked up more playing time at second base lately with Brendan Donovan (arm) limited to designated hitter. Gorman has 20 homers, 62 RBI, 43 runs scored, five stolen bases, 15 doubles and a .243/.325/.489 slash line through a career-high 90 contests overall.

Castro is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

The lefty-hitting Castro will retreat to the bench while southpaw Jesus Luzardo takes the hill for Miami. The Rockies will turn to Alan Trejo to fill in for Castro at second base.

Kim went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two walks and two total runs in Saturday's 14-3 rout of the Tigers.

Kim reached five times in the contest to set the table from atop the lineup on a very productive day for San Diego's offense. When the shortstop hit a solo shot to left field in the seventh inning, he established a new career-best mark with his 12th homer of the campaign. Kim has four multi-hit performance in nine games since the All-Star break, slashing .342/.419/.553 with a pair of long balls, three RBI, seven runs and two stolen bases over that span.

Hoerner went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double and three runs scored in Saturday's win over the Cardinals. He also stole a base.

Hoerner helped lead the Cubs to eight runs as he recorded his second three-hit effort over the last five games. He also stole his 22nd base of the season in 25 attempts, which has been his most appealing fantasy asset. The infielder doesn't hit for a ton of power, but his ability to make consistent contact and run wild on the bases has made him plenty valuable.

Wall stole two bases after entering as a pinch runner in Saturday's loss to Milwaukee.

Wall stole 45 bases in 78 games for Triple-A Gwinnett this season before earning his first MLB call-up Tuesday. The outfielder entered as a pinch runner for Eddie Rosario with one out in the ninth inning Saturday and immediately showed why Atlanta sees him as a valuable roster piece, stealing both second and third base on consecutive pitches before Milwaukee closer Devin Williams could get through the next batter. Wall was stranded as the tying run at third base, but it was nonetheless an impressive big-league debut. He isn't likely to see his name penciled into the lineup often, but Saturday's performance highlighted the impact Wall can make with his speed in select situations.