MLB Player News

Giavotella cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.

Giavotella was designated for assignment Tuesday and didn't garner the interest of any other MLB teams and will remain within the Orioles' organization. He'll likely slide into a starting role with Norfolk for the remainder of the season.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and two RBI in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Mariners.

The home run was Andrus' 15th of the season, making him the first Rangers shortstop to reach that benchmark since seven-time All-Star Michael Young achieved the feat in 2005. Andrus' surprising power breakout -- he had previously never hit more than eight home runs in any of his other eight big-league seasons -- has made him quite the bargain for fantasy owners who were able to snag him in the middle or later rounds in drafts or on the cheap in auctions back in the spring.

Chavis currently has an 11-game hitting streak at Double-A Portland, going 17-for-43 with three home runs, five doubles, nine RBI and 11 runs scored over that stretch.

The Red Sox have been uber-patient with Chavis, who turns 22 next week. The first-round draft pick (2014) has battled injuries but is putting together a breakout season that should put him back on the prospect radar. Between two stops, Chavis is hitting .308 with 26 home runs and 78 RBI over 96 games. With Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski gutting the system the last two seasons, one could look askance at the ranking of prospects in the organization, but Chavis has earned his spot near the top of RotoWire's rankings.

Altuve was named the American League Player of the Month for July, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

If you don't own Altuve in a fantasy league, you might not be aware that the perennial MVP candidate hit .485 in 99 July at-bats, setting a franchise record for batting average in a calendar month. The All-Star second baseman led the AL in on-base percentage (.523) and slugging (.727).

Elmore, who came over to Toronto in the offseason, is finally beginning to find a groove at Triple-A Buffalo, Matt Schneidman of The Buffalo News reports.

Elmore, who's played in 197 MLB games, has spent the large majority of his 10-plus professional seasons in the minors. An infielder drafted by Arizona in 2008, the 30-year-old has had success at the lower levels, but Elmore's game never translated to the big leagues. He entered spring training as a legitimate contender for an Opening Day utility gig, but at this point, Elmore stands little chance of donning a Jays uniform this season.

Giavotella was designated for assignment Tuesday.

The Orioles will drop Giavotella from the 40-man roster to make room for Tim Beckham, who was acquired from the Rays prior to Monday's deadline. With Beckham and Jonathan Schoop presumably locked in as the Orioles' starting middle infielders for the foreseeable future and Ruben Tejada transitioning to a utility role, Giavotella was rendered redundant in Baltimore. He'll likely be outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk if he clears waivers in the coming days.

Semien went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and two runs in Monday's 8-5 win over the Giants.

The slugging shortstop's sixth-inning blast erased a 3-2 deficit in spectacular fashion and gave the Athletics a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Semien took some time to hit his stride after returning from a long layoff due to a wrist injury, but he finished July by slashing .360/.418/.560 over 55 plate appearances in 12 games, a stretch during which he also posted a .416 wOBA.

Franklin cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.

No club wanted to take on Franklin's salary, so he'll serve as infield and outfield depth at the club's top minors level. He's mustered a .179/.269/.293 line with two home runs over 119 major-league plate appearances for the Halos and the Brewers.

Merrifield recently accomplished something only six other players in MLB history have been able to do -- in his first 162 games, Merrifield had 175-plus hits, 80-plus runs, 40-plus doubles and 20-plus steals, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Considering he began 2017 in the minors, it's safe to say Merrifield sat on waivers in many fantasy leagues on Opening Day. He's since transformed into a legitimate keeper option, even in leagues with limited keeper slots available. The 28-year-old should enter 2018 with eligibility at both second base and outfield, making Merrifield an even more intriguing fantasy option.

Franklin was designated for assignment by the Angels on Saturday, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports.

This marks Franklin's second DFA in just over a month and third since April 1. The 26-year-old has hit .214/.285/.360 in parts of five seasons in the majors and he's limited defensively, realistically capable of helping out only at second base and the outfield corners. He will be subjected to waivers once again.