MLB Player News

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.

Rengifo will start at second base and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Rangers, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rengifo will stick in the starting nine for the fourth consecutive game, with the 26-year-old garnering three turns at second base and one in right field over that stretch. The Angels still appear to be viewing Rengifo as more of a utility player, but his defensive flexibility and ability to switch-hit should afford him multiple starts per week.

Edwards was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Edwards received his first promotion to the big leagues Tuesday and went 1-for-6 with a run and a strikeout in three games during his brief time in the majors. Joey Wendle (ribs) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Ibanez is starting at third base and batting fifth in Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Ibanez is starting to see more regular playing time, as this is his second start during the three-game weekend series and he also received two at-bats off the bench. He got the nod in right field Friday and will now cover the hot corner. Nick Maton, who started at third Saturday, will head to the bench.

Kemp is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.

The lefty-hitting Kemp will ride the pine Sunday while the Royals bring southpaw Ryan Yarbrough to the hill. Jordan Diaz will spell Kemp at the keystone after having previously sat out in each of the Athletics' previous five games while Oakland opposed right-handed starters.

Rosario is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Rosario will take a seat for the first time since April 22, ending a streak of 12 consecutive starts. Since opening that streak with a four-hit performance against the Marlins, Rosario has hit just .136 with a 36.2 percent strikeout rate over his subsequent 11 games. Gabriel Arias will spell him at shortstop Sunday.

Bae (ankle) remains out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

The lefty-hitting Bae will take a seat for the second straight game while he battles an ankle issue, though he may have been on the bench even if at full health since the Blue Jays are bringing southpaw Yusei Kikuchi to the hill for the series finale. GM Ben Cherington said Sunday that Bae has been cleared to play, per Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com, so he'll presumably be available off the bench.

Gorman (back) is starting at second base and batting third Sunday against the Tigers.

The 22-year-old was limited to pinch-hitting duties the past two games due to lower-back tightness, but he's back in the starting nine for Sunday's series finale versus Detroit. Gorman has struggled at the plate over his past nine contests, going 4-for-28 with a solo home run, a stolen base and 11 strikeouts.

Castro is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Castro appears to have overtaken Alan Trejo as the Rockies' top second baseman, as the former had started at the position in four of the previous six contests. However, the lefty-hitting Castro will give way to the rigthy-hitting Trejo on Sunday while the Rockies oppose a southpaw (Joey Lucchesi). Castro, who has gone 7-for-14 with two doubles, two walks, four runs and four RBI over his last five games, looks as though he could occupy the large side of a platoon moving forward.

Valdez is starting at second base and batting seventh in Sunday's series finale against the Phillies, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Valdez steps in at the position that has been primarily helmed by Christian Arroyo, who was placed on the injured list with a hamstring injury following Saturday's game. The hamstring has been a recurring issue for Arroyo, so it appears the Red Sox will make sure he's over it before having him play again. Valdez could be the primary starter while Arroyo heals. The 24-year-old infielder has hit safely in eight of 10 games since being called up from Triple-A Worcester, going 12-for-35 with a home run, three doubles, six RBI, three steals and four runs scored in his introduction to the majors.