MLB Player News

Semien went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in a win over the Orioles on Thursday.

Semien's 396-foot solo shot to left in the ninth gave the Athletics some breathing room by extending their lead to 8-5. The hot-hitting shortstop has now reached safely in nine consecutive games and has three multi-hit outings over his last four contests. Factoring in Thursday's production, Semien's average is up to .323 over 73 plate appearances.

Rosario went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and four RBI Thursday against the Braves.

Rosario took Kevin Gausman deep in the second inning to record his first home run of the season. In the sixth inning, he tacked on an RBI single that put the Mets up 4-2. Though there hasn't been a lot of power in his profile early on, Rosario has driven in 10 runners and is currently hitting .283 despite a 29.4 percent strikeout rate.

Merrifield went 0-for-6 in Thursday's loss to Seattle.

Merrifield set a franchise record by extending his hitting streak to 31 games Wednesday night, but his historic run would come to an end after taking the collar at the plate in the series finale. He'll look to begin a new streak starting Friday against the Indians.

Hernandez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in the Dodgers' 11-7 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday.

Hernandez returned to the lineup after a Wednesday rest day and continued his hot early-season hitting, launching his fourth long ball of the season with this two-run shot in the third inning off Michael Wacha. The 27-year-old is locked in, boasting a sterling .349/.442/.721 slash line over 43 at-bats.

Albies agreed to an extension with the Braves on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports Albies will make $35 million over seven years, beginning this season, with the Braves also securing a pair of $7 million team options on the end of the deal. The deal locks up another piece of Atlanta's young core and should keep Albies in what figures to be a strong lineup for years to come. Assuming the 22-year-old plays well enough for the Braves to pick up both options, he won't become a free agent until after the 2027 season.

Solarte started at second base Wednesday, going 0-for-4 in a 3-1 loss to San Diego.

Solarte made his third consecutive start in place of Joe Panik (all three starts against southpaws), signifying a strict platoon at the keystone moving forward. The 31-year-old hasn't been doing much offensively early in his Giants career (.226/.294/.323 over 34 plate appearances), but this platoon situation will help highlight which days Solarte will be penciled in the lineup for DFS purposes.

Merrifield went 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Mariners.

His seventh-inning bunt single not only brought home Terrance Gore from third to tie the game at 5-5, it extended Merrifield's hitting streak to 31 games -- breaking George Brett's franchise record, set during his historic 1980 campaign. Merrifield is now slashing .340/.380/.532 through 11 games with a homer, five RBI, 11 runs and four steals.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with two home runs in a win over the Yankees on Wednesday.

Altuve crushed two solo blasts off James Paxton for the fourth multi-home run game of his career. The 28-year-old has hit a home run in three consecutive games and has quickly alleviated any concerns about a slow start to the year. Altuve is hitting .314 with five home runs on the young season.

India has gone 5-for-25 with a home run and nine strikeouts through his first six games at High-A Daytona.

India wasn't overly dominant in his initial exposure to full-season ball late in 2018 at Low-A Dayton (.229/.339/.396 batting line, 114 wRC+), but the Reds saw enough to move him up to the Florida State League to begin 2019. The third baseman will need to cut down on his strikeouts against more advanced pitching to deliver a palatable batting average, but he should remain an above-average source of power even if the early contact issues persist.

Hernandez is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Hernandez will head to the bench for what appears to be a routine day off after starting the past three games, going 4-for-10 with a trio of doubles and a 2:2 BB:K in those contests. Max Muncy will slide over to cover second base in place of Hernandez, while Cody Bellinger shifts to first base and Alex Verdugo draws a start in the outfield.