MLB Player News

Beckham will start at second base and bat ninth Thursday against the Mariners.

He'll crack the lineup for just the second time in eight games as a de facto replacement for shortstop Jordy Mercer, who is receiving a maintenance day. As a 32-year-old on an expiring deal for a club that enters Thursday 45 games under .500, Beckham isn't expected to see an uptick in opportunities in the final few weeks of the season.

Altuve went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and three runs overall Wednesday against the White Sox.

Altuve took Evan Marshall deep in the eighth inning, briefly knotting the game at nine. It was his 22nd homer of the season, nearing his career-best mark of 24 that he posted in both the 2016 and 2017 seasons. While Altuve continues to deliver at the plate to the tune of .307/.368/.561 line, he has managed just four steals -- putting him on pace for the lowest total of his career by a wide margin.

Castro went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Mariners.

Castro has shown some skills at the plate this season, and he's now batting .285 after the three-hit performance. The 25-year-old doesn't offer a ton of pop -- he has just a .687 OPS and three home runs through 60 games -- but he's certainly earned himself regular playing time on a Detroit team badly in need of any offensive output.

Urias went 1-for-2 with a double, a run scored, three RBI and a walk in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Rays.

Urias delivered a two-run double during the fourth inning to give the Friars a 4-2 lead and tacked on another RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh. The 22-year-old is enjoying a productive August with a .355/.487/.452 slash line in 11 games, and he could see some playing time at shortstop -- as he did Wednesday -- while Fernando Tatis is out with back spasms.

Andrus went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI in a 7-3 victory against the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Coming into the afternoon, Andrus was on a 3-for-21 (.143) skid and had four hits in his last seven games. Reaching that total in Wednesday's game alone probably indicates Andrus is ready to emerge from his slump. He is batting .285 with nine home runs, 57 RBI, 57 runs and 25 steals in 438 at-bats this season.

Marte went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs in Wednesday's 7-6 loss at Colorado.

Marte was a key cog in the Diamondbacks' offense Wednesday, as he scored or drove in a run in all three of the innings the team scored. The 25-year-old has a .348/.444/.583 slash line with seven doubles, four triples and four home runs in 30 games since the All-Star break.

Manager Dave Roberts said Hernandez (hand) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment over the weekend, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Hernandez is ready to face live pitching in games for the first time since landing on the injured list at the end of July with a sprained hand. The utility man could rejoin the Dodgers sometime next week, as he likely won't need a lengthy rehab stint before being cleared to return.

Joseph is expected to occupy the strong side of a platoon at second base going forward, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

He displaces Jurickson Profar as the primary second baseman in Oakland. Joseph, who is starting at the keystone and hitting seventh Wednesday against the Giants, is a 30-year-old journeyman, with the A's representing is fifth organization. He only has 26 career MLB plate appearances, but this year he has hit .371/.421/.585 with 13 home runs and a 10.8 percent strikeout rate in 425 plate appearances at Triple-A. Chad Pinder and Profar are expected to compete for starts against lefties.

Lowe (lower leg) could begin a rehab assignment with the Rays' rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate as soon as Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe's recovery from a right lower leg bruise has taken longer than anticipated, but the 25-year-old has seemed to make some encouraging progress while working out at the Rays' spring-training complex in recent days. He'll likely play a few games in the GCL before advancing his rehab to a higher-level affiliate, which would mark the final step before his eventual reinstatement from the 10-day injured list.

Urias went 2-for-3 with a double, walk and three RBI in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to the Rays.

Urias went 1-for-24 in his first eight games with the Padres following his July 20 callup from Triple-A El Paso, but the rookie is finally starting to show the polished plate approach that made him a highly regarded prospect. Over his subsequent 12 contests, Urias has slashed .333/.442/.472 with seven RBI and eight runs scored. Urias shifted over to shortstop Tuesday when Fernando Tatis (back) exited late in the contest and will man that position in the series finale Wednesday while batting seventh.