MLB Player News

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in a loss to Oakland on Thursday.

Altuve brought Houston to within a run with a solo shot to left field in the eighth inning but flied out with the tying run on base in the ninth. The 2017 AL MVP started off slowly this season but has been on fire since returning from a hamstring injury in mid-June, hitting .333 with 18 homers and 45 RBI in his last 306 at-bats.

Albies went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, a double and a walk in Thursday's loss to the Phillies.

Albies cracked open the scoring with a two-run homer off Drew Smyly in the first inning. He also doubled in the seventh and walked in the fifth. The 22-year-old second baseman now has 22 home runs on the season while batting .290/.349/.494.

Rodriguez went 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Rodriguez drove home a run in the seventh inning on a groundout to shortstop, but it wasn't enough for the Tigers to emerge with the victory. He entered the day hitless in his last three ballgames (0-for-9), though his performance Thursday was a step in the right direction.

Forsythe (intercostal) is not starting Thursday against the Rays.

Forsythe will miss a third straight start as he continues to nurse a left intercostal strain, which he picked up earlier in the week. It remains to be seen if he'll be available off the bench for Thursday's series finale.

Polanco is not in the lineup Thursday against the Nationals due to a dental issue, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Polanco had started the past five games, going 5-for-21 with a home run and five RBI during that stretch. Ehire Adrianza is starting at shortstop and hitting eighth in this one.

Semien went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a stolen base and two runs in a win over the Astros on Wednesday.

Semien's second straight three-hit effort included his second round tripper in as many games as well, allowing him to establish a new career high with 28 homers for the campaign. The veteran shortstop is playing his best baseball of a landmark campaign in September, as Wednesday's tally brought his September average to .385 (15-for-39).

Torres is not in the lineup for Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Tigers, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Gio Urshela starts at third base while DJ LeMahieu slides over to second base for the matinee. Torres should be back in the fold for Game 2.

McNeil is not in Thursday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.

McNeil has been one of the Mets' best hitters all season and that has continued into September. He is hitting .317 with four home runs and one steal in 41 at-bats this month. Todd Frazier will start at third base and hit sixth.

Polanco went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Nationals.

Polanco provided the Twins with their only runs of the night with his 412-foot blast during the third inning. The 26-year-old was 2-for-16 entering the series against Washington, but he's 3-for-9 with a double, a home run and four RBI heading into Thursday's series finale.

Diaz went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Wednesday's loss to Milwaukee.

Diaz drove in two runs for the second consecutive game and evened the contest at 5-5 with Wednesday's 425-foot blast, but the offense went silent over the final four frames. The 23-year-old has largely struggled during his first month in the majors with a .162/.267/.265 slash line in 33 games, but he's looked a bit more comfortable in the last couple games.