MLB Player News

Altuve went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 5-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Altuve tacked on a key insurance run in the top of the ninth inning, handing his club a two-run lead. The 28-year-old is slashing .317/.388/.456 with 13 homers and 17 stolen bases through 133 games, and he'll serve as a key cog within Houston's offense during its 2018 postseason run.

Andrus is not in the lineup Monday against the Angels.

Andrus is hitting just .179/.247/.284 with two homers through 18 games in September, so he'll head to the bench for Monday's series opener in an attempt to clear his head. Hanser Alberto is starting at shortstop and hitting ninth in this one.

McNeil went 4-for-5 with a walk, RBI and stolen base Sunday in the Mets' 8-6 win over the Nationals.

As a 26-year-old who had logged only 18 games above the Double-A level prior to 2018, McNeil didn't have much cachet among prospect enthusiasts heading into the spring. The infielder opened some eyes, however, after delivering a .342/.411/.617 batting line between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas, earning his first call to the big leagues in late July as a result. McNeil hasn't stopped hitting since joining the Mets, with Sunday's four-hit performance pushing his average up to .340 across his first 221 plate appearances in the majors. While a .369 BABIP has surely aided the average, McNeil's stellar contact skills -- he's struck out just 9.5 percent of the time -- have played an integral part in his success. In light of his stable playing time and hot bat, McNeil be worth keeping active in just about every format over the final week of the season.

Lowe went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a win over the Blue Jays on Sunday.

Lowe's 392-foot shot off Jose Manuel Fernandez with Joey Wendle aboard in the eighth closed out the scoring on the day for the Rays. The rookie has been knocking the cover off the ball more often than not in September, as 10 (three doubles, two triples, five homers) of his 14 hits during the month have now gone for extra bases, and he's made hard contact at an impressive 39.0 percent rate during that span.

Forsythe (knee) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics.

Forsythe continues to battle the left knee issue and will miss his third straight game. Gregorio Petit will start at second base and bat ninth, as Forsythe will now have Monday's scheduled off-day assist in his recovery.

Albies is not in the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.

Albies is one of five Braves to get a rest after Atlanta clinched the division Saturday. Ryan Flaherty starts at second base in his place.

Frazier will hit the bench Sunday against southpaw Wade Miley and the Brewers.

Frazier has been platooning with Josh Harrison at second base over the last 10 games. Harrison will get the start Sunday with the lefty on the mound.

Altuve went 3-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and was caught stealing in Saturday's 10-5 win over the Angels.

A crazy thing happened on the way to the Astros' victory. A seven-inning pitching duel turned into an absurd eighth inning in which 14 of the game's 15 runs were scored. After the Angels plated five in the top of the inning to take a 5-1 lead, the Astros stormed back with nine runs of their own. Altuve finished off the circus with a two-run home run, his 13th of the season. Since halting a 19-at-bat hitless streak earlier this month, Altuve is 16-for-52 (.308) with a .957 OPS, three homers, nine RBI and 13 runs scored over a 14-game stretch.

Merrifield went 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, two walks, an RBI and a run in a loss to the Tigers on Saturday.

Merrifield roped his second triple and 42nd double of the season off Jordan Zimmermann and Joe Jimenez, respectively. Following this busy night with the bat, the 2017 breakout star continues building on that lore by slashing .304/.369/.441 with 12 homers, 58 RBI, 86 runs and 38 stolen bases -- which ranks him second in big-league thefts behind Trea Turner (41).

Semien went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Saturday against the Twins.

Semien launched his 13th homer of the season off Chase De Jong in the fifth inning, only his second home run since Aug. 28. His .259/.323/.386 slash line is not particularly strong, though he has chipped in 14 stolen bases and 86 runs across 607 at-bats.