MLB Player News

Polanco is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

An 0-for-4 showing Saturday dropped Polanco's on-base percentage below .300 for the season, but thanks to his strong defense up the middle and skills as a contact hitter, the 23-year-old doesn't look to be in much danger of giving up his everyday role. Polanco will just get a day off to clear his mind, with the lightly-used Ehire Adrianza subbing in for him at shortstop.

Altuve went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs in Saturday's 6-5 win over Texas.

Altuve's eighth-inning home run off Keone Kela proved to be the difference in a one-run win for the Astros. The long ball was Altuve's third hit of the game, something he's been doing with regularity over the last week. In his last seven games, Altuve has three or more hits four times, and he now ranks fourth in the majors in hits. During the mini hit streak, he is 17-for-31 (.548) with six RBI. He's one of the premier offensive options out there, and he's red hot right now.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs, three RBI and a stolen base in a 6-5 loss to the Astros on Saturday.

Andrus really filled up the boxscore Saturday. He now has a nine-game hitting streak, and he's collected three hits in four of those games. During the streak, he is 18-for-39 (.462) with 11 RBI. Andrus has also started running again during the hot streak, stealing six bases to bring his total to 13 for the season. His 32 RBI ranks second in the American League among shortstops.

Espinosa went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 11-5 loss to the Twins.

Espinosa's early struggles led to a three-day absence from the lineup last week, but he has returned to his regular role as the Angels' starting second baseman over the last four games, collecting a hit in all four starts. The 30-year-old is still batting a paltry .154 on the year, so his value will be limited to a cheap power source in deep leagues even with a regular role.

Motter went 1-for-3 with a grand slam, a walk and two runs in Friday's 12-4 win over the Rays.

Motter launched a 351-foot laser off Jake Odorizzi in the first, staking Seattle to an early 5-0 lead. The 27-year-old has hit safely in three straight games but has slumped badly since a fast start, as he's slashed just .197/.287/.282 over his 80 plate appearances since May 2. Motter's positional versatility has helped him continue to see playing time despite his struggles, and he should be in store for regular playing time for the foreseeable future with Jean Segura (ankle) possibly out until the end of June.

Semien (wrist) is throwing over the top from 75 feet and hitting every other day, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Semien is making incremental steps towards a full recovery after undergoing wrist surgery in April and is eligible to come off the disabled list in mid-June. It would seem he still has a ways to go before returning to the big leagues, however, since the A's would like to see more everyday activity before initiating a minor-league rehab assignment. Adam Rosales and Chad Pinder will continue seeing time at shortstop until Semien makes his long-awaited return.

Merrifield is reaping the benefits of a strict diet that helped him put on 25 pounds of muscle and added bulk to his frame, SB Nation reports.

Merrifield went on an insane diet -- one that required multiple workouts and seven meals per day -- prior to the 2016 season. It's reasonable to assume the massive body transformation caused Merrifield to go through an adjustment period last year; however, it all seems to be coming together for the 28-year-old in 2017. He's hitting the ball harder than ever -- in fact, Merrifield's hard-hit contact rate is greater than Royals' sluggers Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. The second baseman's .484 slugging percentage and .190 ISO are far beyond his career numbers at any level.

Rodriguez was placed on the minor-league disabled list with an oblique injury.

Rodriguez left the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre early, and now it's apparent why. No timetable for his return has been revealed, but oblique injuries tend to keep players on the shelf for a good amount of time, so there's a good chance this could be a multi-week absence.

Ibanez (finger) went 4-for-5 with two home runs and a career-high six RBI for Double-A Frisco on Wednesday.

Ibanez was making just his second appearance since being activated from the 7-day disabled list earlier this week following a six-week layoff due to a finger injury. The 24-year-old generally impressed during his debut season in the United States in 2016, though his numbers tumbled upon moving to the Texas League in the second half of the campaign. He'll need to find sustained success at Frisco before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Round Rock.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, two RBI and a run against Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

Andrus has now put together a seven-game hitting streak in which he's gone 14-for-31 (.452) with two homers, five doubles, five steals, eight RBI and eight runs. That's just the latest glorious and unexpected cross-category production we've seen from the Venezuelan shortstop, who's suddenly and unexpectedly developed into one of the finest fantasy options at his position.