MLB Player News

Andrus went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer, a double and a two-run single against the Rays on Tuesday. He scored twice.

With the Rangers down 5-2 heading into the seventh inning, he went to work, first tying the game with his long ball and then adding two insurance runs an inning later. This power outburst is shocking, but maybe it shouldn't be -- after all, Andrus increased his slugging percentage markedly last year, part of an all-around improvement at the plate. Still, with seven homers, he's already just one short of last season's total. He's also already halfway to last year's steals total (24), putting Andrus in line for a hugely valuable fantasy campaign. He's not quite among his position's elite, but he's certainly making those who invested in him happy.

Altuve went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and a run against the Twins on Tuesday.

He's in the midst of a monstrous four-game stretch in which he's gone 11-for-18 (.611) with three doubles, five RBI and five runs. Altuve's batting average has lingered below his typically elite level for much of the season, but it's now at .320 and seemingly rising by the game. He's far short of last year's paces in terms of RBI and runs, but Altuve hits in the middle of a strong lineup and should pile up plenty of counting stats as the season wears on.

Fontana was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.

Fontana only managed to collect one hit during his cup of coffee in the big leagues, so he was an obvious choice to ship back to the minors to make room for Tuesday's starter Parker Bridwell. Fontana could be back on the shuttle to the big leagues soon if he continues to walk nearly 15 percent of the time with the Bees, however.

Semien (wrist) played catch Tuesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

This represents the first baseball-related activity for Semien since he underwent wrist surgery in April. He'll look to ramp up his throwing in the coming days as he aims for a return during the month of June. Adam Rosales will continue to man shortstop in his stead.

Andrus went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases and a run scored in Monday's 10-8 loss to the Rays.

Much has been made about Andrus' gains in the power department this season -- he's only two home runs off matching his career high -- but the shortstop also remains quite active on the basepaths in his age-28 campaign. With five steals in his last four games, Andrus is now halfway to last season's total of 24. The increase in power coupled with his contributions on the bases and a .281 batting average could put Andrus on track to deliver the best all-around fantasy season of his career.

Merrifield went 3-for-4 with two RBI from a triple and solo home run in Monday's 10-7 loss to the Tigers. He also doubled and scored three runs overall.

Merrifield was a thorn in the side of Tigers pitching throughout the night and was responsible for the Royals' first two runs via his 401-foot solo shot in the third and RBI triple in the fourth. The 28-year-old now boasts a 14-game hitting streak, a stretch that's included six multi-hit efforts, three homers and six RBI. While Merrifield has actually seen a drop in hard contact from April's 41.9 percent to 31.5 percent in May, his line drive rate has nearly doubled (12.9 percent to 24.6 percent), which has helped his BABIP shoot up from last month's .207 to .338.

Andrus went 3-for-5 with a double, stolen base and two runs during Sunday's win over Toronto.

The 28-year-old shortstop is in line to have a career year with six home runs, 27 RBI, 10 stolen bases, 27 runs and a .278/.321/.434 slash line. He's never provided this level of cross-category production, and Andrus has also been locked into the top third of the lineup in each of his past 24 games. While it wouldn't be surprising to see Andrus cool off going forward, especially in the power categories, he is also in the heart of his prime and a favorable fantasy setup.

Motter is out of the lineup Sunday against the Red Sox, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Motter's versatility had allowed him to pick up a start in each of the last three games, but he failed to record a hit in any of his nine at-bats over those contests. Most of the sheen from Motter's early-season power binge has worn off at this point, as he's contributed only three extra-base hits -- all doubles -- while batting .175 in May.

Fontana will start at second base and bat eighth Sunday against the Marlins.

Since being called up to the big leagues Monday, Fontana has recorded only one hit in 11 at-bats, but he'll still benefit from his second start in a row with everyday second baseman Danny Espinosa in the midst of an extended slump. Once either Fontana or Espinosa is able to find some success at the plate, that player could end up taking on the bulk of the starts at the keystone.

Espinosa is out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins.

Espinosa seems to have fallen into a timeshare at the keystone with Nolan Fontana, who will draw a second straight start. With one hit in 11 at-bats since being promoted to the big leagues Monday, Fontana has done little to distinguish himself, but he'll likely remain a factor for playing time so long as Espinosa remains stuck in a rut of his own. Espinosa has recorded only five hits (.093 average) in May and has struck out in one third of his plate appearances.