MLB Player News

Rodgers was officially called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday, and will start at second base and bat seventh versus the Phillies, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

There was some thought Rodgers was being called up due to Trevor Story (knee) exiting Wednesday's game, but Story is starting at shortstop Friday while Rodgers remains at second base. The 22-year-old is the organization's top prospect and had an impressive start to the season with the Isotopes, slashing .356/.421/.644 with nine home runs in 35 games.

McNeil (abdomen) is out of the lineup for Friday's series opener at Miami, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

McNeil suffered the injury Thursday against the Nationals, so it's not a major surprise to see him held out of the starting nine one day later. The 26-year-old downplayed the injury after leaving the game, indicating he should be fine within a couple days. Brandon Nimmo, Juan Lagares and Carlos Gomez will start from left to right in the outfield for the Mets on Friday. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, McNeil is available to pinch hit and may return to the lineup Saturday.

Arraez was called up by the Twins on Friday, Phil Miller of the Star Tribune reports.

Arraez opened the season with Double-A Pensacola, hitting .342/.415/.397 in 38 games, with more walks (18) than strikeouts (13). He reached Triple-A for the first time Tuesday and will be promoted again after just three days at that level, with Nelson Cruz (wrist) expected to head to the injured list in a corresponding move. Arraez, who has played second, third, short and left field, doesn't have much in the way of tools other than his ability to make contact, but that skill is strong enough that he could have some fantasy value if he finds regular playing time.

Semien went 1-for-6 with a three-run homer and two runs scored Thursday against the Tigers.

Semien took Blaine Hardy deep in the seventh inning for his fifth home run of the season. The long ball marked his first homer since April 24, and he's struggled to make much solid contact in May as he is just 10-for-55 in the month. More positively, he has managed to steal two bases in his past 10 games despite getting on base sparingly.

Lux is slashing .298/.362/.562 over 121 at-bats for Double-A Tulsa.

Lux just continues to rake in Double-A as his .924 OPS is currently higher than the .916 mark he posted in his fantastic campaign in split time between High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Tulsa last season. He's also provided excellent power, having launched eight home runs after hitting 15 last year. While his chances of getting a callup to the Dodgers this season are slim, it seems like a matter of time before the club will give him a run with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

McNeil (abdomen) said he expects to be fine this weekend, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. "It's nothing I'm worried about," McNeil said.

McNeil said he suffered the injury running to first base in the third inning of Thursday's loss to the Nationals. The utility man downplayed the severity of the issue, however, noting that he deals with this sort of abdominal pain from time to time and it usually takes a day or two before he's fine. With Michael Conforto (concussion) out, Keon Broxton and Juan Lagares could both draw starts in the outfield should McNeil be forced to miss any time.

McNeil exited Thursday's game due to abdominal tightness, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

McNeil was 1-for-2 before exiting in favor of Juan Lagares in the third inning. The Mets are calling his removal precautionary, so he should be considered day-to-day ahead of Friday's series opener in Miami.

Rengifo was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake following Wednesday's game against the Twins.

Rengifo's most recent stint with the Angels lasted just two days, corresponding with Kole Calhoun's stay on the paternity list. The youngster went 0-for-7 with a 2:3 BB:K in a pair of appearances during his time with the big club, lowering his season average to .147 through 34 at-bats (11 games).

Beckham isn't expected to see regular work at third base after the Tigers recalled Dawel Lugo from Triple-A Toledo ahead of Thursday's game against the Athletics, Jason Beck of MLB.com. "We're bringing [Lugo] up here to play, not to sit," manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Following the demotion of everyday third baseman Jeimer Candelario to Triple-A after Wednesday's loss to the Astros, Beckham temporarily topped the depth chart at third base. Though Beckham has been impressive at the plate in his limited opportunities this season with an .886 OPS, giving regular at-bats to a 32-year-old journeyman probably doesn't hold much appeal for a rebuilding Tigers club. Instead, the Tigers will see if the 25-year-old Lugo can establish himself at the major-league level after hitting .341 at Triple-A this season, albeit with little pop.

Semien is hitting just .184 (9-for-49) with a double, two RBI, 10 walks and three runs across 12 May games.

The downturn for the shortstop has been swift, as he entered the month slashing an impressive .311/.388/.475 for the season. Semien's current slump has led to a 36-point drop in batting average and 77-point tumble in slugging percentage. His on-base percentage has held up much better due to Semien's solid plate discipline, which has already led to a second straight month with a double-digit walk tally. However, Semien's recent lack of pop has resulted in just a single extra-base hit in May, as well as a stretch of 18 games without a home run.