MLB Player News

Espinosa was released by the Mariners on Sunday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The Mariners picked up Espinosa last month after he was released but the Angels, but they decided to cut ties with him as well after he failed to hit over the Mendoza Line in his limited playing time. He now owns an abysmal .164/.237/.279 line through 85 games this season. Despite his embarrassing performance at the plate, he can still play a solid second base, so look for him to latch on elsewhere on a minor-league deal.

Motter was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

He'll take the roster spot of Danny Espinosa, who was placed on release waivers in a corresponding move. Motter spent some time with the Mariners earlier in the season, slashing .204/.272/.355 with seven homers and nine stolen bases in 70 games before being sent back to the minors. Since his demotion, the 27-year-old hit .350 with seven homers and six stolen bases in 25 games with Tacoma. He'll return to his role as a utility player for the big club.

Polanco is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Indians, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Polanco will head to the bench for a breather after going 2-for-4 with an RBI in Game 1. Ehire Adrianza will take over for him at shortstop, batting ninth.

Andrus went 3-for-5 with a home run, a walk, three runs scored, four RBI and a steal in Wednesday's 12-6 win over the Tigers.

Andrus broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning with his 16th home run of the season and drove in two more runs with a single one inning later before adding another RBI single in the seventh. The veteran shortstop has made great advancements in the power department, already doubling last season's previous best of eight long balls in 32 fewer games while blowing his career .368 slugging percentage out of the water with a .483 mark. That extra pop hasn't come at the cost of his trademark speed, as Andrus' steal was his 23rd.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Royals.

Semien extended his hitting streak to six games with Monday's performance, which included his first triple of the campaign. The slugging shortstop has yet to hit a home run in August, but he's slashing a respectable .269/.339/.365 over his first 13 games of the month. Semien has enjoyed an excellent second half overall and has raised his average 101 points to .246 since July 18.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Rangers.

Altuve, who has three homers and three steals over the previous nine games, has been a nice blend of power and speed. With 18 homers and 26 steals, the second baseman is closing in on a second consecutive 20-homer, 30-steal season.

Merrifield went 3-for-6 with a triple, a homer and five RBI Sunday against the White Sox.

Merrifield finished a double shy of the cycle, driving in three runs with a third-inning homer before adding two more RBI on a triple in the sixth. This was the leadoff man's fourth multi-hit effort since Aug. 6, and he's flashed solid power with three long balls in that stretch. He's now slashing .296/.333/.486 and needs six more home runs and one stolen base for a 20-20 season.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and an RBI in Friday's 6-4 win over the Astros.

The 28-year-old's power surge continues -- having already shattered his previous career high with 15 homers, Andrus has now taken aim at a new personal best in doubles and sits just two back of the 35 he collected in 2014 after rapping out seven in his last six games.

Andrus went 0-for-6 with two stolen bases and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Mets.

After a blistering seven-game stretch in which he went 14-for-29 at the plate, Andrus has gone 1-for-10 over the past two contests, but the pair of steals he picked up Wednesday should lessen the sting of the minor skid. Both Andrus' batting average and on-base percentage are down from a season ago, but with the shortstop showcasing more power than ever and still remaining active on the bases, his overall fantasy value has risen to new heights in 2017.

Merrifield cranked out four singles in five at-bats with a stolen base and two runs against the Cardinals on Wednesday.

The big effort improved his average to an even .300 on the season, and it's almost surprising that he wasn't at that lofty height already, considering that he seems to get a hit in just about every game. Indeed, since the start of July, Merrifield has gone hitless just five times in 35 games, and he's been contributing both pop and speed steadily, establishing himself as one of the league's most surprising breakout stars. With an impressively low 13.2 percent strikeout rate, it should be no problem for him to keep hitting for average.