MLB Player News

Andrus is out of the lineup Sunday against the Tigers.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister has been making a habit lately of resting Andrus on Sundays, allowing utility man Jurickson Profar to take a turn at shortstop. Andrus went 0-for-7 in the first two games of the series with the Tigers, but is hitting .275 with eight RBI, six runs and two steals since the All-Star break.

Altuve went 2-for-3 with a double, triple and run scored in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays. He was also caught stealing on his one attempt.

The All-Star second baseman continues his MVP-caliber season, with Saturday's production extending his current hitting streak to six games. Altuve also has three doubles, Saturday's three-bagger and five RBI over that span, and his season line is up to a jaw-dropping .365/.431/.578.

Kemp will start in left field and bat ninth in the order Sunday against the Blue Jays, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Kemp had an unremarkable stint with the Astros earlier this summer, but has thrived since heading back to Triple-A Fresno and rejoining the big club Aug. 7. In seven appearances (four starts) during that time, Kemp has gone 6-for-21 with five runs and a stolen base. The Astros recently cleared out some of their outfield clutter by designating Carlos Gomez for assignment, and with Jake Marisnick day-to-day with a groin injury, opportunities could remain available for Kemp for the foreseeable future.

Drury is out of the lineup Saturday against the Red Sox.

Drury was seeing regular playing time in left field while Yasmany Tomas was out with a neck issue, but now that Tomas is back, Drury's playing time should decrease somewhat. He is slashing .256/.302/.416 with 10 home runs in 344 plate appearances this year and has really cooled off since a hot start.

Semien was 4-for-4 on Friday night with two runs, bumping his average up to .244.

Semien has provided nice power this season with 23 bombs, but his batting average has been a concern most of the season. It was a good sign to see Semien put together four knocks to raise his average seven points in one night, but even better than all four hits were line drives. With all the A's injuries and roster moves, Semien will likely spend more time near the top of the lineup, which will benefit his run and RBI numbers to go with the power.

Espinosa is not in the starting lineup for the Nationals on Friday, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.

Espinosa has continued to struggle at the plate over his last 10 games, hitting just .194 with 12 strikeouts in his last 36 at-bats. He will likely rejoin the starting lineup on Saturday when the Nationals host Rob Whalen and the Braves.

Polanco started both games of Thursday's doubleheader loss to Houston and went 4-for-8. He's hitting .333 during a 13-game hitting streak and has started the last seven games. "I'm going to keep putting him out there,'' manager Paul Molitor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Polanco has drawn praise for Molitor for his defense at shortstop despite only playing a game there at Triple-A this season. It sounds like Molitor wants to keep him in the everyday lineup even though the team has a crowded infield situation.

Altuve went 4-for-5 with a walk, three RBI and scored three runs in the first game of Thursday's double-header against the Twins.

Altuve delivered his second consecutive four-hit game, giving him eight four-hit games this season, seven of which have come on the road. The 26-year-old is hitting .438 on the road this season -- .503 since May 1 -- and is just seven hits shy of reaching 1,000 career hits. Altuve's reached base safely in 40 consecutive road games, becoming only the second player in franchise history to do that.

Giavotella will be out of the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Indians.

Giavotella will get a day off for the third straight game Thursday, and has been struggling recently at the plate. Cliff Pennington will get the start at second, while batting ninth.

Giavotella is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Over the last seven games, Giavotella has gone just 1-for-12 at the plate. Gregorio Petit will start in place of the struggling second baseman and bat ninth Wednesday evening.