MLB Player News

Semien will start at second base and bat leadoff in Sunday's game against the Tigers.

After homering twice Thursday against the White Sox to bring his total up to 32 on the season -- one shy of his career high -- Semien has gone 1-for-8 with a base hit in the first two contests of the series in Detroit. The Blue Jays will keep him atop the lineup for the second game in a row Sunday, though he could shift down in the order as soon as Monday, when George Springer (knee) could be ready to return from the injured list.

The Blue Jays placed Espinal on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a right hip flexor strain.

Espinal exited Saturday's game against the Tigers with the hip issue, which the Blue Jays quickly determined was more than a day-to-day concern. While Espinal is sidelined for at least the next week and a half, Kevin Smith and Breyvic Valera are expected to step in as the Blue Jays' primary options at third base.

Miller is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

Miller will sit for the second straight game and appears to have lost out on an everyday role after Bobby Bradley returned from the injured list Saturday. The right-handed-hitting Miller will likely serve as a short-side platoon option for Cleveland now that the team has most of its key regulars healthy.

Arauz will start at second base and bat ninth Sunday against Cleveland.

Arauz will stick in the lineup at the keystone for the third game in a row after going 1-for-6 with a home run and three RBI in the first two contests of the series in Cleveland. The 23-year-old could fill an everyday role at the position until Boston gets at least one of Danny Santana (groin), Enrique Hernandez (COVID-19) and Christian Arroyo (COVID-19) back from the injured list.

McNeil is out of the lineup Sunday against the Nationals, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

McNeil has a .512 OPS through 26 games in August and will head to the bench for the third time in the past four games. Jonathan VIllar will receive the start at first base while batting leadoff for New York.

Chavis (elbow) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cardinals, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.

Chavis was pulled from Saturday's contest with right elbow discomfort, and he'll miss at least one game as a result. The severity of the issue remains unclear, though the 26-year-old will have Monday's scheduled off day to aid in his recovery before potentially missing additional time. Cole Tucker will cover the keystone Sunday in his place.

Hernandez started at third base and went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Astros.

Hernandez swiped his fourth bag in 17 games since his contract was selected by the Rangers earlier this month. He's had double-digit steals in the minors the last three seasons and could be in line for consistent playing time, after Andy Ibanez was removed from Saturday's game with a hamstring injury. Ibanez had been moving around the infield, including third base. With Brock Holt and Charlie Culberson unavailable due to COVID-19 protocols, Hernandez may be a regular at the hot corner in the short term.

Texas manager Chris Woodward said Ibanez (hamstring) will undergo testing Sunday.

Ibanez was removed from Saturday's game after legging out an infield single in the bottom of the sixth inning. The utility infielder started at first base and was replaced by Nathaniel Lowe. Woodward added that he was "not overly optimistic" about the outcome. It would a blow if he were to miss significant time. Ibanez has adapted well to MLB pitching and entered Saturday's contest on an 11-game hitting streak while slashing .488/.511/.767 during that run.

Arroyo has tested positive for COVID-19, after he was previously placed on the injured list Friday after being identified as a close contact of the infected Enrique Hernandez and strength coach Kiyoshi Momose, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Boston is currently conducting tracing to identify if anyone else in the organization was a close contact of Arroyo, Hernandez or Momose, but for now, no other players are being placed on the COVID-19-related IL. Since he's been confirmed to have tested positive for the virus, Arroyo will be sidelined for at least 10 days. The absences of Hernandez and Arroyo should pave the way for Jonathan Arauz and Yairo Munoz to pick up most of the work at second base in the short term.

Mayfield went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run as the Angels defeated the Padres, 10-2, on Saturday.

Mayfield went yard in the third inning to give the Angels an early 3-0 lead and singled and scored in the sixth. The outing represented the 30-year-old's first home run and multi-hit game since Aug. 6, and the infielder is now slashing .211/.259/.408 on the season.