MLB Player News

Solarte will serve as the Blue Jays' starting third baseman while Josh Donaldson deals with a "dead arm" phase, MLB Network Radio reports.

Donaldson will be the team's designated hitter until his arm is ready to make throws from third base. Solarte was going to get plenty of playing time this year regardless, but it looks like he will be an everyday player in the short term.

Semien went 3-for-5 with an RBI, two runs scored, one walk and one strikeout Thursday against the Angels.

Semien was quietly pushed up in the A's batting order in 2017, batting nearly exclusively in either the first or second spot in the lineup. In that role, he managed to post a 9.8 BB%, which helped him score 53 runs in just 386 plate appearances. On Thursday, he was again slotted into the second spot in the A's lineup, and if he can maintain that spot, he should produce counting stats more consistently. Given his established capability of producing power and speed numbers, Semien appears to be trending up as a fantasy asset.

Andrus batted third and went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Astros.

Andrus has hit at the extreme ends of batting orders during his career, but was exposed to the three-hole last season when he posted increased power numbers. It looks like he'll be a fixture in the middle of the Rangers' lineup and could build off his career-high 88 RBI in 2017.

Motter was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.

The Mariners kept Motter around in case Ichiro Suzuki wasn't ready to go for the start of the season, but with Suzuki being cleared to return, Motter will open the season in the minors. The 28-year-old utility man hit an impressive .350/.427/.640 across 117 plate appearances with Tacoma last season, but he failed to translate that success to the majors, hitting just .198/.257/.326 across 280 plate appearances with the Mariners. Given his versatility, he'll likely be back with the big club at some point in 2018.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Tuesday that Ngoepe secured a spot on the team's Opening Day roster, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays haven't announced as much, but Ngoepe's inclusion on the team likely means that Danny Espinosa will be reassigned to minor-league camp, if not released. Ngoepe, who debuted last season with the Pirates and appeared in 28 games, is regarded as a glove-first utility man, so he wouldn't attract much interest in the fantasy realm if he ends up falling into semi-regular at-bats at any point.

Barreto was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, Julian McWilliams of The Athletic reports.

Though Barreto was making a strong push to be included on the Athletics' 25-man roster, the club decided to send its top-tier prospect back to Nashville since there isn't a clear-cut position for him in the majors at the moment. The infielder was able to leave quite the impression on manager Bob Melvin, and remains a prime candidate for a call-up in the not-too-distant future. Over 25 games with Oakland in 2017, Barreto hit .197/.250/.352 with two home runs and six RBI during his first cup of coffee in the major leagues.

Semien may split leadoff duties with Matt Joyce this season, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Semien was expected to handle the role of leadoff hitter for the 2018 season, but manager Bob Melvin indicated he likes Matt Joyce at the top of the order against right-handed starters and Semien for left-handers. The A's starting shortstop struggled against southpaws in 2017 with a .224/.303/.367 slash line in 109 plate appearances, although he missed nearly half the season with a wrist injury and his career numbers (.275/.323/.468) may more accurately reflect his expected splits.

Beckham has signed a minor-league contract to return to the Mariners, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports Monday.

Beckham was released by the Mariners last week, but has opted not to test the free-agent market and instead will remain in the organization. The 31-year-old mustered just a .262/.313/.393 slash line for Triple-A Tacoma last year and will serve as veteran organizational depth capable of playing multiple infield positions.

Semien, who went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 5-1 Bay Bridge Series exhibition loss to the Giants, is expected to provide a unique mix of power and speed out of the leadoff spot in 2018, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

The versatile shortstop has made a case for a potentially explosive 2018 this spring with a .309 average, a pair of doubles, one home run and four RBI. Now fully recovered from the wrist surgery that cost him 74 games last season, Semien will look to up his OBP for a third straight campaign and put a dent in his 22 percent strikeout rate while serving as both table-setter and long-ball supplier at the top of the Athletics' lineup.

Solarte has gone 10-for-48 (.208 average) with a home run and five RBI across 17 Grapefruit League games.

Due to his ability to play all over the infield in addition to starting shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's (heel) expected absence for at least the first few weeks of the season, Solarte should be in store for at least semi-regular at-bats to kick off his first campaign in Toronto. However, Solarte's poor spring may result in Aledmys Diaz garnering the Opening Day nod at shortstop, as Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com projects. Diaz has only been marginally better than Solarte at the plate during Grapefruit League action, so it could be a case where manager John Gibbons rotates both players in at shortstop at the start of the season before ultimately settling on the hotter bat of the two.