MLB Player News

Ortiz was named the Eastern League Player of the Week on Monday.

Ortiz earned the honors with an impressive week against Double-A Altoona. He his .519 (14-for-27) with three home runs, four doubles, 11 RBI and nine runs scored in six contests. The shortstop prospect has put together an alright campaign to date, slashing .258/.314/.416 with nine homers, 48 RBI, 43 runs scored and a stolen base through 87 games.

The Rangers promoted Acuna from High-A Hickory to Double-A Frisco on Monday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Acuna will move up a rung on the minor-league ladder after slashing .317/.417/.483 with eight home runs and a 28-for-34 success rate on stolen-base attempts across 240 plate appearances at Hickory. The 20-year-old has received exposure to both middle-infield spots this season but is still expected to be developed primarily as a shortstop as he makes the move to Frisco.

Frazier went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run in an extra-inning loss to the Astros on Sunday.

Frazier did a nice job setting the table out of the top of the order, reaching safely for the seventh straight game in the process. The veteran outfielder's .244/.304/.312 slash line remains very much a work in progress, but Frazier's batting average is now at its highest point since June 7.

Drury went 1-for-1 with a solo home run in a 3-2 win over the Orioles on Sunday.

Drury's 20th home run of the season couldn't have come at a better time for the Reds. Drury was called in to pinch hit with the game locked at 2-2 in the eighth inning, He blasted an offering from Felix Bautista over the left field fence to score the game-winning run. Drury has now hit 20 home runs for the first time in his nine-season career.

Lux went 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Rockies.

Lux has gone 0-for-7 with two walks in his last three games, a cold spell that followed a stretch of four multi-hit efforts in five contests. The 24-year-old was able to do alright with his one trip aboard Sunday, stealing third base and scoring on a James Outman double in the eighth inning. Lux owns a .299/.376/.425 slash line with four home runs, six steals, 30 RBI and a career-high 50 runs scored through 93 contests.

Altuve went 2-for-3 with a stolen base, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a run scored in Sunday's 3-2 extra-inning win over the Mariners.

Altuve was plunked in the first inning, then moved to third on a Yuli Gurriel single. Gurriel then initiated a double-steal, and Altuve was able to dart home for the opening run. This was the second baseman's fourth steal in July and his ninth in 10 attempts this season. He's added a .273/.362/.506 slash line, 19 home runs, 37 RBI, 57 runs scored and 19 doubles through 86 contests.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Hernandez (hip) felt good after swinging a bat Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Taking swings represents the first meaningful activity for Hernandez since he required a platelet-rich plasma injection shortly before the All-Star break to alleviate pain in his right hip. Hernandez is expected to steadily ramp up his activity in the days to come, and Cora said the goal is for the 30-year-old to make his return from the 60-day injured list at some point in August.

Villar is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Villar has now sat out each of the past three times the Giants have faced a right-handed starting pitcher, so manager Gabe Kapler may be viewing the righty-hitting rookie as a short-side platoon player at this time. Once Evan Longoria (hamstring) is cleared to return from the injured list, Villar could be in danger of being optioned back to Triple-A Sacramento.

Estrada was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list Sunday.

Estrada was struck in the head by a pitch Saturday and will be unavailable for at least the next week as he goes through the concussion protocols. Brandon Crawford (knee) was already on the injured list, so the Giants elected to acquire Dixon Machado from the Cubs to fill in at shortstop for the immediate future.

Haggerty (forehead) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros but should be available off the bench, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

That being said, the Mariners would ideally prefer to stay away from Haggerty, who exited Saturday's win due to a cut on the left side of his forehead just above his eyebrow. According to Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle, Haggerty required eight stitches to seal the wound, so he could be in some discomfort when he puts on a hat or batting helmet. Assuming Haggerty is feeling well following the day off, he could contend for an everyday role in the outfield in the short term after the Mariners placed Julio Rodriguez (wrist) and Dylan Moore (back) on the 10-day injured list Sunday due to the injuries they sustained in Saturday's win.