MLB Player News

Altuve went 4-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored in Monday's 13-4 win over the Phillies.

This was the second consecutive four-hit game for Altuve, who is making a run at the American League MVP award that appeared to be Aaron Judge's after the first half of the season. He improved his AL-leading batting average to .365, and Altuve's batting a ridiculous .528 during a 16-game hitting streak.

Rosario is in the Las Vegas lineup Monday after missing six games due to an injured hand and stomach issue, Betsy Helfand of the Review Journal reports.

Helfand reported Sunday that manager Pedro Lopez indicated Rosario was suffering from gastroenteritis and dehydration. This small absence shouldn't affect the timeline for him to be up in New York, which could be in about one more week, once the July 31 trade deadline passes.

Drury is not in the lineup Monday against the Braves.

Drury has been scuffling at the plate since the All-Star break, producing just a .572 OPS in that eight-game span. He'll hit the bench as the Diamondbacks continue to employ a carousel of options at second base. Daniel Descalso will man the keystone Monday evening.

Motter was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday.

Motter made a start at first base over the weekend with Danny Valencia (wrist) sidelined, but he'll now head down to Tacoma in an attempt to get back on track at the plate. The 27-year-old hit just .206 in June and has earned only eight at-bats during the month of July. For the season, Motter is batting .204 with seven home runs and 23 RBI. A corresponding move is expected to be made later Monday.

Chavis went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored for Double-A Portland on Sunday.

Chavis' numbers for Portland have predictably dropped some against more advanced pitchers after a standout first half at High-A Salem, but it's nothing to be too concerned about. He's still hitting .264/.292/.491 with six home runs and 15 RBI over 29 games for the Sea Dogs. The third baseman's breakout 2017 season has reestablished him as a legitimate MLB prospect, but where he fits with the Red Sox is unclear because he plays the same position as Boston's top prospect, Rafael Devers, who will be promoted to the majors Monday. Chavis could be used as a trade chip for some bullpen help, a move that could provide him a clearer path to the majors.

Altuve went 4-for-5 with a three-run home run and a stolen base during Sunday's loss to Baltimore.

Altuve continues to live up to his lofty preseason billing with a .358/.424/.564 slash line, 15 homers, 56 RBI, 21 stolen bases and 68 runs. It's extremely rare to find that level of cross-category production, and it's even more valuable coming from a middle infielder.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during Sunday's win over the Mets.

Semien has been limited to just 104 plate appearances this season, and his .209/.337/.326 slash line highlights his struggles. However, he owns the power-speed combo to be a solid fantasy asset moving forward, and the shortstop might be kick-starting a heater with an active four-game hitting streak. He could be a potential upgrade in deeper settings.

Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk in Sunday's 5-4 win over the White Sox.

Merrifield hit the first of three consecutive Royals homers off Derek Holland in the bottom of the fourth inning, then added another solo shot off reliever Dan Jennings to tie the game 4-4 in the eighth. The 28-year-old second baseman has been a tremendous spark plug at the top of the order, having swiped 16 bags to go with 10 long balls this year. Four of those 10 home runs have come in the month of July after Merrifield failed to hit one in June.

Urias is in a walking boot after spraining his left ankle with Double-A San Antonio, Bill Center of MLB.com reports.

This likely explains why the top prospect was removed from Saturday's contest after just one at-bat. It's unclear how severe the injury is, although the fact that he's already in a walking boot certainly doesn't instill much confidence in anyone. Consider Urias day-to-day until more information is known about his status.

Espinosa agreed to a major-league contract with the Mariners on Sunday, Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports reports.

Just three days after being released by the Angels, the switch-hitting second baseman already has a new home (within the same division no less). This deal is an MLB agreement, so Espinosa would likely be in line to assume a reserve role once the pact is officially inked. Espinosa has a lot of pop in his bat for a second baseman, but his strikeout issues make him tough to trust, especially as a bench player.