MLB Player News

Arroyo has not played since Sept. 18 due to a non-COVID illness, but he is joining the team this weekend in New York, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

He had been playing pretty regularly up until then, so this explains why he has been absent from the lineup for a few days. Arroyo was not yet at the park a couple hours before the game and he was not in Friday's lineup. He should return later this weekend.

Gonzalez isn't starting Friday against the Tigers.

Gonzalez is getting a day off after he went 1-for-6 with a strikeout over the last two games. Josh Harrison will take over at the keystone and bat eighth Friday.

Bae had his contract selected by the Pirates and will start at second base and bat eighth Friday against the Cubs, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

The 23-year-old has been called up for his first taste of the majors and will make his debut Friday. Bae posted a .291/.364/.432 slash line with eight home runs, 53 RBI, 81 runs and 30 steals in 108 games at Triple-A this year, and he could see action at shortstop and in the outfield down the stretch, in addition to second base.

Biggio isn't in the lineup Friday against the Rays.

Biggio should see an uptick in playing time while Santiago Espinal (oblique) is on the injured list. However, Biggio has started against just six left-handed pitchers this year and will head to the bench with southpaw Jeffrey Springs on the mound for Tampa Bay on Friday. Whit Merrifield is starting at the keystone and batting eighth.

Hoerner (triceps) isn't starting Friday against the Pirates.

Hoerner will be held out of the lineup for an 11th consecutive game despite only being listed as day-to-day. He'll run the bases ahead of Friday's matchup but is otherwise expected to get a day off from baseball activities, per Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network. Zach McKinstry is starting at shortstop and leading off.

Arroyo is not in the starting lineup Friday versus the Yankees, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Arroyo will remain on the bench for a fourth consecutive game. Enrique Hernandez will draw the start at second base while Rob Refsnyder enters the lineup in center field and bats seventh against the Yankees.

Altuve (elbow) is starting Friday against the Orioles.

Altuve sat out Thursday due to an elbow injury, but he'll start at the keystone and lead off following his one-game absence. The 32-year-old is riding a four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 8-for-13 with a solo homer, six runs, a stolen base, two walks and a strikeout.

Frazier went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a two-run double in a win over the Athletics on Thursday.

Frazier's clutch double in the sixth inning plated Jarred Kelenic and Dylan Moore to snap a 5-5 tie, and his ninth-inning single drove home Moore with the final run of the game. The veteran's productive showing out of the No. 9 spot in the order was an especially welcome sight, considering he'd been mired in a 2-for-22 slump over the previous eight games despite striking out at just an 8.7 percent clip in that span.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Thursday's loss against the Rays.

After Teoscar Hernandez led off the second inning with a homer, Merrifield came up two batters later and crushed a solo shot of his own to tie the game at 3-3. The second baseman then crushed a two-run homer in the ninth, though the game had already gotten away from the Blue Jays by that point. Merrifield hasn't gotten a whole lot of playing time recently, though he is 5-for-14 (.357) in his last 16 plate appearances with two homers, five RBI, and four runs scored while also drawing two walks in that span.

Bae is expected to have his contract selected by the Pirates on Friday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Bae has spent the entire season with Triple-A Indianapolis and has a .291/.364/.432 slash line with eight home runs, 53 RBI, 81 runs and 30 stolen bases in 108 games. The 23-year-old primarily played the middle infield spots at Triple-A but has also seen some time in the outfield, and he'll receive his first taste of the majors down the stretch for Pittsburgh.