MLB Player News

Altuve is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels.

Manager A.J. Hinch is giving several of his top players the day off Saturday, and Altuve is included in that group. Marwin Gonzalez will man the keystone in Altuve's place.

Marte went 2-for-4 with a double, walk and a run scored in Friday's 13-11 win over the Marlins.

Marte has churned out a.270/.352/.365 batting line in September while chipping in 12 runs and two steals in 18 games, offering the Diamondbacks quality production while serving as the team's starting shortstop. Though Marte's power numbers have dipped since the All-Star break, his solid on-base skills and capable glove should lock him into an everyday role the rest of the way.

Rosario (illness) is in the lineup against the Nationals on Friday.

Rosario appears to have recovered from a stomach illness that has kept him sidelined for the past three games. He returns to the lineup at the shortstop position, while batting seventh, for the series opener against Washington.

Albies went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in Thursday's win over the Nationals.

He'd gone 0-for-12 over his prior four games, but he snapped out of the mini-slump Thursday with some authority. The 20-year-old has done nothing but hit at every level he's played, and the majors are proving to be no exception as Albies now sports a .283/.360/.457 slash line in 198 plate appearances since his promotion to Atlanta. He should be the Braves' Opening Day second baseman in 2018, and while he's already exhausted his rookie eligibility, that won't stop him from being one of the more exciting young players in the National League.

Marte went 1-for-5 with a double, two runs and an RBI in Wednesday's 13-7 win over the Padres.

Though he collected his 15th extra-base hit in 64 games, Marte's power production has tapered off dramatically in recent weeks. He's delivered a home run and a pair of doubles over his last 91 at-bats, slashing a meager .220/.301/.275 over that span. Due to his strong defense up the middle along with a lack of attractive alternatives, Marte's starting role still looks to be secure, though that could change heading into the postseason if Chris Owings (finger) proves healthy once he's activated from the 60-day disabled list Sept. 29.

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a homer, two steals, two RBI and three runs against the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Although this long ball ended an 18-game power outage for Merrifield, he stayed productive in that stretch, hitting .314 with six doubles, a triple and four steals, not to mention an 8:8 K:BB. The sophomore second baseman has been quite the coup for his lucky/wise fantasy owners, as his lofty totals of 18 home runs and 32 steals alongside a .290 average were not exactly in the preseason forecast.

Espinosa was outrighted from the Rays' 40-man roster Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Espinosa was recently designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for the impending return of Xavier Cedeno (forearm) from the 60-day DL. He appeared in just eight games during his brief time with the Rays, hitting a middling .273/.333/.273 with a poor 46 percent strikeout rate.

Semien went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's win over the Tigers.

The 27-year-old accounted for all of the A's offense in a 3-2 victory. He came into Wednesday's game batting .229/.299/.343 with one home run and 19 strikeouts in 70 September at-bats. Semien suffered a wrist injury early in the year, and that was likely a big factor in his power decline this season.

Rosario (illness) returned to the Mets' clubhouse Wednesday and said he was feeling "a lot better," Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 21-year-old has been out for several days with a stomach illness, which he said was caused by eating an improperly cooked meal last weekend. Rosario is hoping he can return to the lineup Friday for the start of the team's final homestand. After a slow start upon his arrival to the big leagues, Rosario has turned it on at the dish. He seems poised to be the Mets' starting shortstop for many years to come, and he could leap up near the top of the order in 2018.

Andrus went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Mariners.

Andrus' second base hit of the evening helped put the game on ice for the Rangers, as it drove home Delino DeShields for an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. It was Andrus' 86th RBI of the season, one of many categories in which the shortstop has established new career highs.