MLB Player News

Kemp entered Thursday's game after left fielder Yordan Alvarez was removed due to a knee injury, going 1-for-3 in a 10-0 loss to the Pirates.

Kemp entered the game in the fourth inning after Alvarez aggravated a leg injury while chasing down a flyball. Alvarez was coping with discomfort after fouling a ball of his left leg Tuesday but was able to continue on as the designated hitter. If Alvarez can't play Friday, expect to see Michael Brantley, who was the DH on Thursday, slot in at left field instead of Kemp.

Edwards went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and three runs scored for Low-A Fort Wayne on Thursday.

Edwards has been raking for the TinCaps all season, but this performance was notable in that he homered in the fourth inning, marking his first long ball at any professional level. Despite the lack of power, he's hit very well throughout his minor-league career, as he's slashing .336/.414/.400 since he was drafted in 2018. If Thursday's long ball is a sign he's set to add more power to his game, it would be a big addition to his profile, as he's already clearly a skilled offensive prospect.

Albies went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in a loss to the Cubs on Thursday.

Albies plated the Braves' first run of the game with a single in the second inning, then produced their final run with a solo homer in the sixth. After hitting only one home run in May, the 22-year-old has now gone deep six times in June while hitting a healthy .330 (31-for-94). Overall this season, he is slashing .284/.345/.472 with 13 homers and 44 RBI in 324 at-bats.

Brujan was promoted to Double-A Montgomery on Thursday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Brujan earned a promotion after excelling in a 44-game return trip to High-A Charlotte, slashing .290/.357/.386 with 12 extra-base hits (eight doubles, two triples and a home run) and 24 stolen bases (in 29 attempts).

Short, who has been on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Iowa since mid-April due to a hand injury, began a rehab assignment with the Cubs' rookie-level Arizona League affiliate last week.

Short has gone 6-for-15 with two doubles and seven walks over five games. The 24-year-old infielder should soon be ready to test himself at a full-season affiliate before reclaiming an everyday role at Iowa.

Frazier is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Astros.

Frazier will head to the bench for the third time in six games as Colin Moran draws a start at the keystone. Though he initially thrived at the dish after being dropped as the Pirates' leadoff man in favor of Kevin Newman earlier this month, Frazier has fallen into an offensive funk of late. Over his last nine games, Frazier has recorded four hits in 24 at-bats.

Arraez will start in left field and bat fifth Thursday against the Rays.

A utility infielder by trade, Arraez will receive his first big-league start in the outfield with Eddie Rosario (ankle) labeled as day-to-day and all of Byron Buxton (wrist), Marwin Gonzalez (hamstring), Ehire Adrianza (abdomen) and Willians Astudillo (oblique) on the injured list. Even though he may not be an ideal defensive fit in the outfield, Arraez would carry some intrigue for fantasy purposes if he ends up seeing regular work. The rookie has displayed a polished hit tool in his limited MLB action to date, going 19-for-42 (.452 average) with only two strikeouts.

Beckham will start at second base and bat eighth Thursday against the Rangers.

Beckham will stick in the lineup for the fourth straight contest, signaling that manager Ron Gardenhire at least tentatively views him as the top option at the keystone. The veteran is batting just .171 in June and likely doesn't have much of a future with the rebuilding Tigers, so his standing atop the depth chart appears quite shaky.

Lowe is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The Rays will move four lefty-hitting regulars (Lowe, Austin Meadows, Ji-Man Choi and Joey Wendle) to the bench with southpaw Martin Perez toeing the rubber for Minnesota in the series finale. With Lowe sitting, Michael Brosseau will pick up a start at the keystone.

Marte has been cleared for infield duty only after returning from a groin injury, Julie Stambaugh of the Arizona Republic reports.

Marte, who was out of the lineup Wednesday, has played second base since missing two games due to the groin. Manager Torey Lovullo is not yet certain when Marte will be ready to handle the more stressful outfield position.