MLB Player News

Torres was officially promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and will start at second base and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Torres was likely in line for a promotion to the big leagues last season, but his efforts were derailed by an elbow injury in June that required Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old required only 14 games at Triple-A this season to prove to the Yankees' brass that he's back to full strength, with Torres' .347/.393/.510 line in the International League prompting his callup to the big club. It's expected that Torres will see at least semi-regular action at either second or third base initially, though if he struggles more than expected offensively, a demotion to Triple-A isn't out of the question. Neil Walker -- who is sitting out Sunday -- Tyler Austin and Miguel Andujar would seem most at risk of losing out on starts while Torres is up with the Yankees.

Semien went 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs scored and an RBI while also stealing a base Saturday against the Red Sox.

Semien scored all three of his team's runs Saturday, with the highlight being a solo home run against Chris Sale in the third inning. He also stole his second base of the season in as many attempts. While many of his numbers don't stand out as impressive in the early going, he has benefitted from batting exclusively first or second in the A's lineup, scoring 16 runs with just a .320 on-base percentage.

The Yankees plan to promote Torres to their 25-man roster Sunday, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Torres was dealing with back tightness earlier this week but is apparently healthy enough for his long-awaited promotion to the majors. The Yankees' top prospect has raked at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season with a .370/.415/.543 slash line in 46 at-bats. Miguel Andujar has seen significant time at third base with Brandon Drury (impaired vision) on the disabled list, but Torres could seize that opportunity if he hits the ground running in the majors.

Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during a 3-2 win over the Tigers in the second game of Friday's doubleheader.

After going 3-for-5 in the opener, Merrifield came through with his second homer of the season in the nightcap -- both of which have come in the last three games. The 29-year-old is now slashing .271/.354/.400 on the year, and the surprising power he displayed in 2017 appears to be returning along with warmer weather.

Solarte went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's 8-5 win over the Yankees.

The 30-year-old now has five homers in 17 games to begin the season, with three of them coming in the last five contests. Solarte hit a career-high 18 home runs for the Padres last year, but the offseason change in league and home venue seems to have brought his power stroke to another level.

Ngoepe was sent down to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday.

Ngoepe appeared in 12 games for Toronto over the first few weeks of the season but wasn't able to make an impact at the plate, going just 1-for-18 (.056 average) with one walk and 12 strikeouts. The infielder will head back to the minor leagues to get everyday at-bats while Lourdes Gurriel takes his place on the Blue Jays' active roster.

Barreto is 0-for-6 with three walks and five strikeouts in his two games since returning to Triple-A Nashville from a stint with the Athletics.

The 22-year-old recently spent time with the big-league club while Chad Pinder was sidelined with a knee injury, yet ended up logging just one at-bat during his nine days with the Athletics. He's had trouble making contact since returning to the Sounds, but he'll look to work his way back to the form that led to a solid .290/.339/.456 line, 15 home runs and 54 RBI over 111 games with Nashville in 2017.

Altuve went 3-for-4 with a walk, double, run scored and four RBI Thursday against the Mariners.

To no one's surprise, Altuve has been getting on base at an excellent rate to begin the season, as he's now hitting .342/.398/.392 in 79 at-bats. However, in that same span, he has failed to hit a home run and has only one stolen base on one attempt. To live up to his lofty draft price, those stats will have to increase but his pedigree and track record suggest his lack of production in those areas won't last long.

Estrada (hip) was activated from the disabled list at High-A Tampa on Wednesday, Dan Martin of the New York Post reports.

The 22-year-old had been out since suffering a gunshot wound in February. The injury did little to hamper him in his season debut, as he went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. It's interesting that he was activated by High-A Tampa since he was expected to open the season at Triple-A, though Estrada could get to that level soon if he continues to hit like this.

Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, two runs and a pair of walks in Wednesday's loss to the Blue Jays.

Not much went right for the Royals on Wednesday, but Merrifield was a bit of a bright spot in reaching base three times and leaving the yard for the first time this year. Following a season in which he hit .288 with 19 home runs and 34 steals, owners certainly were hoping for more than what they've gotten so far out of the 29-year-old. He's struck out at least once in seven straight contests now -- and 10 of the last 11 -- so if he's able to put the ball in play more often or work more walks like he was able to Wednesday, the results may start to turn.