MLB Player News

Altuve (thumb) took batting practice Saturday in Seattle, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Altuve has been sidelined since he broke his thumb while playing in the World Baseball Classic in late March, but Saturday's limited action is a big step in his rehab program. The second baseman is already eligible to return since he's just on the 10-day injured list, and he's set to undergo imaging on the injured finger soon. Barring any problematic test results, Altuve could begin a rehab assignment within the next couple weeks.

Motter was designated for assignment by the Cardinals on Saturday.

Motter made the Cardinals' Opening Day roster but was designated for assignment in late April, only to return again three days later. He's again available for any team to claim him off waivers, but as a 33-year-old with a career .191/.263/.309 slash line, he's unlikely to draw much interest.

Rojas will sit Saturday against lefty MacKenzie Gore and the Nationals.

Rojas started against a handful of lefties in mid-April, but he's now been on the bench against each of the last five southpaws the Diamondbacks have faced. Emmanuel Rivera will get the start at the hot corner.

Valdez will sit Saturday against the Phillies, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Valdez has appeared in 10 games for the Red Sox this season, hitting .343/.361/.514 with a homer and three steals. Since his late-April call-up, he's started against seven consecutive righties but just one of out three lefties, including Saturday's starter Bailey Falter. Christian Arroyo will replace him at second base.

Bae is dealing with a minor ankle injury but is available off the bench Saturday against the Blue Jays, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Bae is sitting Saturday, with Jack Suwinski starting in center field and Rodolfo Castro starting at second base. Bae ranks third in the majors with 14 steals, but he has been below replacement level (-0.2 fWAR) on the whole, so improved performance at the plate and in the field might be necessary for him to continue playing semi-regularly.

McNeil will sit Saturday against the Rockies, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

McNeil's off day comes against lefty Austin Gomber, but as it's his first time out of the lineup all season, there's seemingly no reason to fear that he's slipping into a platoon role. Eduardo Escobar will take over at second base.

Lux (knee) is no longer using crutches and could start running in July, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Lux tore the ACL and LCL in his right knee during a spring training contest in late February and was placed on the 60-day IL on March 30. Though the news that he could be cleared to begin running in July is a positive sign of progress, there's been no indication that the Dodgers expect Lux to return this season.

Lowe (back) will bat cleanup and start at second base Saturday against the Yankees, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Lowe sat out the last two days while battling a back issue, one which was reportedly different from the back troubles which cost him much of last season. He started this season strong, posting a 1.045 OPS in his first 17 games, but he's slumped to a .478 OPS and a 39.0 percent strikeout rate over his last 10. It's possible he was bothered by the back problem over that stretch, so this brief rest could be what he needs to get back on track.

Trejo remains on the bench for Saturday's game against the Mets, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Trejo started 10 out of 11 games from April 18 to 29, but since then, he's started just two of six contests. Both of his starts in this recent stretch have come against southpaws, with Harold Castro handling second base against righties like Saturday's starter Tylor Megill.

Wisely went 1-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases and a run scored in Friday's 6-4 win over the Brewers.

Wisely has gotten into six games since he was added to the roster first for the Mexico Series and then as an injury replacement for Mike Yastrzemski (hamstring). His hit Friday was his first in that span, and a 1:4 BB:K is far from impressive, but he was able to notch his first two major-league steals. The utility man is batting .074 with one RBI and one run scored over 29 plate appearances while hitting near the bottom of the order when he draws into the lineup.