MLB Player News

Motter was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday.

Motter made a start at first base over the weekend with Danny Valencia (wrist) sidelined, but he'll now head down to Tacoma in an attempt to get back on track at the plate. The 27-year-old hit just .206 in June and has earned only eight at-bats during the month of July. For the season, Motter is batting .204 with seven home runs and 23 RBI. A corresponding move is expected to be made later Monday.

Chavis went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored for Double-A Portland on Sunday.

Chavis' numbers for Portland have predictably dropped some against more advanced pitchers after a standout first half at High-A Salem, but it's nothing to be too concerned about. He's still hitting .264/.292/.491 with six home runs and 15 RBI over 29 games for the Sea Dogs. The third baseman's breakout 2017 season has reestablished him as a legitimate MLB prospect, but where he fits with the Red Sox is unclear because he plays the same position as Boston's top prospect, Rafael Devers, who will be promoted to the majors Monday. Chavis could be used as a trade chip for some bullpen help, a move that could provide him a clearer path to the majors.

Altuve went 4-for-5 with a three-run home run and a stolen base during Sunday's loss to Baltimore.

Altuve continues to live up to his lofty preseason billing with a .358/.424/.564 slash line, 15 homers, 56 RBI, 21 stolen bases and 68 runs. It's extremely rare to find that level of cross-category production, and it's even more valuable coming from a middle infielder.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during Sunday's win over the Mets.

Semien has been limited to just 104 plate appearances this season, and his .209/.337/.326 slash line highlights his struggles. However, he owns the power-speed combo to be a solid fantasy asset moving forward, and the shortstop might be kick-starting a heater with an active four-game hitting streak. He could be a potential upgrade in deeper settings.

Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk in Sunday's 5-4 win over the White Sox.

Merrifield hit the first of three consecutive Royals homers off Derek Holland in the bottom of the fourth inning, then added another solo shot off reliever Dan Jennings to tie the game 4-4 in the eighth. The 28-year-old second baseman has been a tremendous spark plug at the top of the order, having swiped 16 bags to go with 10 long balls this year. Four of those 10 home runs have come in the month of July after Merrifield failed to hit one in June.

Espinosa agreed to a major-league contract with the Mariners on Sunday, Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports reports.

Just three days after being released by the Angels, the switch-hitting second baseman already has a new home (within the same division no less). This deal is an MLB agreement, so Espinosa would likely be in line to assume a reserve role once the pact is officially inked. Espinosa has a lot of pop in his bat for a second baseman, but his strikeout issues make him tough to trust, especially as a bench player.

Polanco has lost the everyday shortstop job for Minnesota as the team will use a committee approach that will involve Eduardo Escobar and Ehire Adrianza, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "We're going to look for more matchups than an everyday guy right now," manager Paul Molitor said.

Polanco is hitting just .157 with a .429 OPS since June 1. He also has eight errors in his last 32 games. It sounds like he may move to a limited bench role with a few spot starts until he gets hot at the plate.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and two runs Saturday against the Rays.

Andrus blasted his 13th home run of the season to open the scoring for the Rangers in the fourth inning of a game they'd go on to win. His strongest fantasy assets are his .291 batting average and 20 steals, but his .466 slugging percentage is hardly a liability.

Franklin is not in the lineup Saturday against the Red Sox.

This marks the second lefty in a row that Franklin will not face, which makes it seem like he and fellow switch-hitter Cliff Pennington are in a full-blown platoon at second base. Although Franklin has the fortune of being on the larger side of the timeshare, his uninspiring batting line on the season makes him a rather unattractive asset in most fantasy formats.

Semien went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI singles, a stolen base and a run in Friday's 7-5 loss to the Mets.

The slugging shortstop has been sluggish at the plate since returning from his wrist injury, but perhaps Friday's outburst will serve as a springboard for better things. The extent of Semien's struggles is such that despite his four-hit night raising his average a whopping 41 points, it still sits at a sub-Mendoza-Line .192. However, the 26-year-old has only logged 43 at-bats overall since returning on July 6, and he certainly has the upside to considerably improve his numbers across the board in the second half.