MLB Player News

McNeil (leg) isn't starting Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against Atlanta.

The 29-year-old appeared as a pinch hitter in Sunday's win over the Blue Jays, and he went 1-for-1 with a double and two RBI. Luis Guillorme will take his place at the keystone and bat eighth in Monday's matinee, and it's not yet clear whether McNeil could be available off the bench in the first game or return to the lineup for Game 2.

Chavis will start at second base and bat ninth Monday against the Blue Jays, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Chavis will essentially be filling in for Xander Bogaerts in the series opener, as regular second baseman Enrique Hernandez bumps over to shortstop while Bogaerts gets the day off. With all of Christian Arroyo (hamstring), Marwin Gonzalez (hamstring) and Danny Santana (groin) residing on the injured list and none believed to be close to returning, Chavis should serve as the Red Sox's top utility man in the short term. He'll be making his fourth start in six games Monday.

Polanco (back) will bat third and play second base Monday against the Tigers.

Polanco sat Sunday to rest his lower back, but he's evidently not dealing with any significant injury. He appeared off the bench in that contest and will be involved from the start in this one.

Kemp is hitting .368 (7-for-19) with a double, an RBI, two walks, a stolen base and three runs over his last eight games.

The veteran's impressive numbers even factor in an 0-for-4 showing Sunday, with Kemp having preceded that clunker by having hit safely in each of the previous six games in which he'd logged a plate appearance. Kemp has raised his season average 13 points to .253 since July 10, and both his .374 on-base percentage and .763 OPS qualify as career highs.

Estrada went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, a steal and two runs scored in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Pirates.

Estrada singled and stole his first base of the year in the sixth. He would eventually be brought home off the bat of Curt Casali and later started off the eighth with the Giants' third homer of the day to make it a 6-1 ballgame. The 25-year-old has stepped up in a big way in the absence of Brandon Crawford (oblique), as he's slashing .360/.407/.640 with two homers, five RBI, five runs scored, a steal and 2:8 BB:K over his last seven games. It's doubtful he's able to sustain his success over time but fantasy managers, especially in NL-only leagues, should ride him while he's hot.

Marte (hamstring) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Monday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Marte, who took five at-bats in a simulated game at Chase Field on the Saturday, had missed taking at-bats at the team's complex due to weather. He's recently begun taking grounders and appears ready to ramp up running activity this week.

Lux recently stated that he has been sprinting and that his injured left hamstring is feeling better than expected, Michael J. Duarte of NBC LA reports.

When Lux hit the injured list July 19, the expectation was that he would likely need a fair amount of time to recover. Though a target return date has not yet been set, it's at least promising that the infielder's hamstring has responded well to rehab thus far. Early August remains a reasonable expectation for Lux's return to action.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sunday that Arroyo (hamstring) is progressing, but the infielder is without a timeline to return from the 10-day injured list, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Arroyo strained his left hamstring just as Boston was preparing to give him a look as its primary first baseman, and the fact that he won't be ready to move past the injury quickly likely means that he won't be guaranteed a meaningful role once he eventually returns. Boston is expected to rely on a combination of Bobby Dalbec, Michael Chavis and Franchy Cordero to hold down the fort at first base in the meantime, with the team presumably hoping that one of the three catches fire at the plate and seizes control of the everyday gig.

Semien went 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and two runs scored in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Mets.

Semien scored in the sixth and eighth innings and collected his third multi-hit game since the All-Star break. The veteran infielder went 4-for-9 with four runs and three extra-base hits over the weekend, raising his season OPS to .873 through 428 plate appearances. Still, he's just 15-for-66 (.227) with 15 strikeouts in July.

Frazier was traded from the Pirates to the Padres in exchange for Tucupita Marcano, Jack Suwinski and Michell Miliano on Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Frazier is in the midst of the best campaign of his career, as he's slashed .327/.392/.453 with four homers, 58 runs, 32 RBI and five stolen bases to begin the 2021 campaign. The 29-year-old won't be a free agent until after the 2022 season. He played nearly every day for the Pirates and leads all major leaguers with 125 hits this year, and San Diego plans to use him in a super-utility role since he has experience at all three outfield positions, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports. As a result, Frazier and Jake Cronenworth could both maintain fairly regular playing time.