MLB Player News

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Sunday's 10-1 victory over the Pirates.

Merrifield opened the scoring Sunday with an RBI single in the first inning before extending Toronto's lead to 4-0 with a three-run homer off Roansy Contreras in the third. It's the first homer of the season for the 34-year-old Merrifield after he hit 11 in 504 at-bats last season. He's gotten off to a nice start with Toronto, slashing .291/.342/.408 with 12 runs scored, 14 RBI and seven steals through 114 plate appearances. While he's not likely to be a 40-steal threat anymore, Merrifield remains a solid multi-category fantasy option in the middle of a powerful Blue Jays' lineup.

Gorman went 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 12-6 win over the Tigers.

Gorman returned to the starting lineup Sunday after making consecutive appearances off the bench due to lower-back tightness. The 23-year-old reached in the sixth, stole second and scored in what wound up being a seven-run inning for the Cardinals. For the year, Gorman is slashing .255/.347/.510 with seven homers, 23 RBI, 10 runs, three steals and a 14:32 BB:K over 118 plate appearances. He has only made starts against right-handers so far.

Donovan went 2-for-3 with a three run homer in Sunday's 12-6 win over the Tigers.

Donovan supplied what wound up being the game-winning run for the Cardinals after a three-run blast in the sixth put them up on the Tigers, 7-6. The long ball was his first since April 2 and his third overall on the year. Donovan his primarily started against righties only this season and may be in and out of the lineup this week with the Cardinals scheduled to face three lefties. For the year, the 26-year-old is slashing .268/.327/.392 with six extra base hits, nine RBI, 13 runs and a 7:20 BB:K over 107 plate appearances.

Rojas went 0-for-3 with three walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 9-8 loss to the Nationals.

Rojas hadn't drawn a walk since April 23, and he hit just .190 (4-for-21) in that span. The infielder is still regularly hitting leadoff versus right-handed pitchers, but he has a modest .263/.315/.343 slash line through 111 plate appearances this season. He's added 18 BI, 16 runs scored and four stolen bases, but he's yet to hit a home run in 28 contests.

Garcia went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, one RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 9-8 win over the Diamondbacks.

Garcia has shredded Arizona pitching this weekend, going 8-for-13 with a home run and two doubles over three games. He was hitting just .223 coming into the series, but he's now at .271 with a .737 OPS, three homers, 16 RBI, 13 runs scored and a stolen base through 29 contests on the season. He's adjusted well to being the No. 2 hitter over the last week or so.

Estrada went 3-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 7-3 loss to the Brewers.

Estrada went deep in the ninth inning, but his long ball had no impact on the result. He's hit safely in five straight games (8-for-19), and he's homered in each of the last two contests. The infielder is slashing an excellent .346/.399/.543 with six homers, 14 RBI, 23 runs scored, nine stolen bases and seven doubles through 32 games as a near-everyday presence in the Giants' lineup.

Turang went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Giants.

Turang walked and stole second in the sixth inning but couldn't come around to score. He's hit safely in his last five games, going 7-for-15 with two steals and three walks in that span. The 23-year-old infielder is slashing .256/.316/.356 with two home runs, nine RBI, nine runs scored and five stolen bases through 98 plate appearances. He is filling a strong-side platoon role at second base while Luis Urias (hamstring) is out of action.

Alu is traveling to San Francisco to meet the Nationals ahead of Monday's series opener against the Giants, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The club hasn't officially made any roster moves, but Victor Robles (back) appears headed to the injured list. Alu is a third baseman by trade but has recently seen some action in the corner outfield. The 26-year-old prospect has struggled early this season for Triple-A Rochester with a .240/.318/.333 slash line through 20 games.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Altuve (thumb) could be ready to begin a minor-league rehab assignment "within a week or so, maybe, as long as he continues to progress," Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Despite undergoing surgery to repair his fractured right thumb March 22, Altuve looks like he could be on pace for a return from the 10-day injured list in fewer than two months. He took batting practice for the second consecutive day Sunday and also took part in fielding work and baserunning drills. Mauricio Dubon has been holding down the fort at the keystone all season while Altuve has been on the shelf, but Dubon is expected to move into more of a utility role once the eight-time All-Star completes his rehab assignment and is deemed ready for his 2023 MLB debut.

Altuve (thumb) took batting practice, fielded grounders and did some running Sunday in Seattle, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The Astros' decision not to place Altuve on the 60-day injured list to begin the season after he underwent surgery March 22 on his right thumb appears to be a wise one, as the 33-year-old looks like he'll have a chance at being ready to make his season debut well before late May. As Chandler Rome of The Athletic notes, Altuve slugged about six home runs in batting practice Sunday, which seemingly suggests that his power hasn't been compromised even though he had surgery on his dominant hand. The Astros haven't outlined when Altuve might be ready for a rehab assignment, but it could happen as soon as the upcoming week.