MLB Player News

Andrus went 1-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two runs and two RBI against the White Sox on Saturday.

Andrus launched his 11th home run of the season off Derek Holland to break up a 2-2 tie in a road victory. He's slashing .301/.349/.473, a nice improvement over the breakout numbers he posted in 2016.

The Brewers traded Franklin to the Angels on Friday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.

Franklin hit just .195/.258/.317 in 53 games with Milwaukee, which led to his second DFA in the span of three months. With this trade, he will go on the Angels' 40-man roster, but it's uncertain if the team has any immediate plans to add him to the active roster. While Franklin missed time with a hamstring issue recently, there has been nothing to suggest it's serious.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Indians.

The home run was Andrus' fourth extra-base hit in five games, and he's also raked in eight RBI during that span. With 10 homers on the season, Andrus has already eclipsed last season's career-best mark with the Rangers not even halfway through their schedule, making him a huge value for those who invested in him on draft day. Andrus is slated to man shortstop and bat second Thursday in the series finale.

Merrifield is not in Thursday's lineup for the series finale against the Tigers, MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan reports.

After starting the past eight games, Merrifield receives a standard day off for Thursday's matinee. Ramon Torres will man second base and bat leadoff in his stead.

Altuve went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two steals, an RBI and a run against the A's on Wednesday.

A 30-plus-steal man for five consecutive seasons, Altuve had gone just 3-for-5 on the bases over his past 47 games despite hitting .341 in that span. Other than the steals, the 27-year-old has been delivering more or less as expected, so if this is an omen that he's found his legs again, his fantasy owners will once again have the complete package on their hands.

Jones, 19, has rebounded from a poor start and is currently slashing .266/.332/.394 through 65 games for Low-A Burlington.

Jones is hitting .316 over his last 10 contests, and he has shown an intriguing combination of power and speed in 2017. The teenager has five home runs and 13 steals this season. Jones remains raw, but has exceptional physical tools that are starting to translate to the diamond.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI and three runs during Monday's loss to Cleveland.

Up to nine homers, 45 RBI, 18 stolen bases and 46 runs with a .299/.348/.463 slash line, Andrus continues to provide excellent fantasy results from the shortstop position. He's well on his way to a career-best showing while locked into the top third of a potent lineup. With solid numbers already banked, Andrus can also withstand a slump or two over the coming months without taking a significant hit to his virtual value.

Barreto went 2-for-5 with a run in Sunday's 5-3 win over the White Sox.

Following an impressive major-league debut Saturday, Barreto proved it was no fluke with a second consecutive two-hit effort. Barreto's early returns certainly provide plenty of reason for optimism, and he should see a stretch of starts in the immediate future; although Jed Lowrie (knee) is projected to be available for the first game of a series against the Astros on Tuesday, Barreto is likely to slide over to shortstop to fill in for fellow rookie Chad Pinder (hamstring).

Semien (wrist) went 3-for-5 with two RBI from a run-scoring single and a home run in High-A Stockton's win over Modesto on Saturday and is hitting .500 with a pair of doubles over his first two games with the Ports.

So far, so good for the recovering shortstop, whose rehab assignment is expected to be an extended stint. Semien underwent wrist surgery back on April 18 and has been progressively ramping up his activity since late May. If all goes well, Semien projects to return to the big-league club at some point in July.

Motter will start at first base and bat eighth Saturday in place of the injured Danny Valencia (wrist).

It will be his first start in three games, though there could be more on the horizon if Valencia's injury is considered serious. Motter hasn't exactly made a strong case for more playing time, as the 27-year-old is hitting just .207 heading into the weekend, though he has blasted seven home runs.