MLB Player News

Mayfield remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Mayfield will be on the bench for a third straight game with manager AJ Hinch having seemingly settled on Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel as the Astros' regular options on the left side of the infield. Though Mayfield was instrumental in Saturday's win over the Blue Jays with three doubles and three runs, he's recorded just three hits in his other 39 at-bats since receiving a callup from Triple-A Round Rock in late May.

Kemp is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Jose Altuve (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and reinstalled as the everyday second baseman for the series finale, likely spelling an end to Kemp's run as a regular in the lineup. While the outfield also presents another playing-time avenue for the versatile Kemp, any steady opportunities he gets there will likely be short-lived with George Springer (hamstring) trending toward a return from IL early next week. Kemp suddenly looks like an expendable player in most deeper mixed leagues, and perhaps some AL-only formats as well.

Altuve (hamstring) was activated from the 10-day injured list and will start at second base and bat third Wednesday against the Reds, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve will check back into the Houston lineup for the first time since May 10 after the Astros cleared him to return to action following a successful three-game minor-league rehab assignment. Prior to landing on the shelf, Altuve was batting just .243 to go with nine home runs and one stolen base in three attempts. While it's not expected that his hamstring injury will have any impact on his productivity at the plate, Altuve's involvement in the run game could become more muted while he looks to avoid a potential aggravation. With Altuve back in the fold as the everyday second baseman, Tony Kemp is expected to shift into a utility role.

Semien went 1-for-4 with an RBI triple, a walk and two runs in a win over the Orioles on Tuesday.

Semien was one of the few Athletics not to leave the yard in the 16-run explosion, but he managed to contribute with his second triple of the season. The three-bagger also extended Semien's hitting streak to 15 games and pushed his June average to .338, a far cry from a month of May when he mustered just a .206 figure at the plate.

Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, six RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's rout of the Mariners.

Merrifield led off the game with a single and came around to score on a hit by Alex Gordon. He then helped put the game out of reach with a three-run blast in the fourth inning and a sacrifice fly for a run in the sixth before capping the scoring with a two-run blast in the eighth. The multi-homer game was the second of Merrifield's career, while the six RBI established a career high. He is putting together another fine season, complementing a .306/.353/.510 slash line with 10 homers, 39 RBI, 52 runs and 11 stolen bases.

Hernandez belted a grand slam and walked in a victory over the Giants on Tuesday.

Hernandez came on as a pinch hitter for Joc Pederson in the sixth inning and was walked intentionally, then made the most of his only official at-bat by crushing a 416-foot grand slam to left field to break the game open in the seventh. Both outcomes were positive signs for Hernandez, who had struggled coming into the game by taking only one walk and belting only one home run while hitting a meager .160 in June. Overall, he is slashing .213/.281/.391 with 11 home runs and 37 runs batted in this season.

McNeil went 3-for-5 with a walk, a solo home run and three runs scored Tuesday against the Braves.

McNeil had already reached base three times before stepping to the plate in the ninth inning, but he capped off his performance by taking Josh Tomlin deep. He now has four homers on the season, and has continued to display strong plate skills (.404 on-base percentage and 11 percent strikeout rate). He's now hitting .333 and slugging .470 across 245 plate appearances for the season.

Hernandez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants.

Hernandez has fallen off after a hot start and now sits with just a .210/.276/.376 line for the season. Max Muncy slides over to second base Tuesday, with Matt Beaty starting at first.

Altuve (hamstring) is expected to be activated from the injured list ahead of Wednesday's game against the Reds, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Altuve returned to the team Tuesday to be re-evaluated, and it appears he's passed his tests with flying colors. The 29-year-old star was placed on the injured list May 11 due to a left hamstring strain, but he'll be eager to return to form after playing below his standards to kick off the 2019 campaign. Altuve is slashing .243/.329/.472 with nine homers, one stolen base and 21 RBI over 39 games this season.

Arraez was recalled from Triple-A Rochester prior to Tuesday's game against the Red Sox.

Ehire Adrianza was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. Arraez has been a hitting machine in the minors and majors this season, but he will likely only serve as a part-time player while Adrianza is on the shelf. We could see him competing to be the Twins' starting second baseman in spring training next year, so he is worth stashing in dynasty leagues.