MLB Player News

Espinosa is not in the lineup Monday against the Rays.

Despite reaching base three times during Sunday's contest against the Mets, Espinosa will head to the bench for Monday's series opener. Nolan Fontana will draw the start at second base in his stead.

Fontana was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.

He'll replace C.J. Cron on the active roster, giving the Angels some more versatility around the infield. Fontana has carried a .374 on-base percentage over 166 plate appearances with Salt Lake this season, but it's uncertain that he'll receive an opportunity to put his offensive skills on display during his stint with the Angels. He may just be asked to play a depth role at multiple infield spots.

Andrus went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Tigers.

Andrus was one of six Rangers to record two hits on the evening as part of a balanced offensive attack. With no homers and three extra-base hits since May 4, Andrus' power production is beginning to taper off, but he's at least batted a respectable .281 in his subsequent 16 games, making him a satisfactory lineup option in most fantasy leagues.

Torres was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, MLB.com's Matt Kardos reports.

The Yankees are promoting one of their top prospects amid a power surge. Torres clobbered four home runs over the last week and will now pack his bags and head to Triple-A. While it's still unlikely that Torres will crack the major league roster this season, the fact that he'll be exposed to a higher level of competition for the rest of the way will help his cause for next year.

Chavis went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, three RBI and three runs scored for High-A Salem on Saturday.

Chavis has hit safely in seven straight, going 12-for-30 with eight extra-base hits, nine RBI and eight runs scored. Saturday's homers give him a system-high 10 for the season, with nine of those occurring at the cavernous park in Salem. The 21-year-old has made more line-drive contact this season at the expense of what had been a high groundball rate. The Red Sox have been waiting and waiting for a return on investment from their 2014 first-round pick (26th overall), though what he's doing this season is more than anyone expected. Don't be surprised if the Red Sox sell high and use Chavis as a trade chip later this season, as the team already has top prospect Rafael Devers at third base ahead of him.

Espinosa is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets.

Cliff Pennington will take over at second base with Espinosa taking a seat following his three-strikeout evening Friday. Espinosa is striking out in an alarming 34.3 percent of his at-bats this season, which has contributed to his .231 on-base percentage. His next chance to return to the lineup will come Sunday against left-hander Tommy Milone.

Semien had the cast on his injured wrist removed Friday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Semien will work with trainers over the next few days to determine his timetable for getting back into baseball activity. He will likely require a substantial rehab assignment before he can return to the diamond, so it would still be a surprise if he suits up for the Athletics by the end of May.

Barreto went 3-for-6 with five RBI from a double and three-run home run in Triple-A Nashville's 13-3 win over Fresno on Thursday. He also scored twice.

Barreto is now slashing .320/.369/.510 with six homers and 27 RBI over 37 games with the Sounds. The 21-year-old shorstop is one of several promising prospects simmering just below the big-league level for Oakland, although the team currently appears committed to having him continue to get regular reps in the minors despite Marcus Semien's extended absence with a wrist injury.

Polanco is not in the lineup for the second game of the Twins' doubleheader against the Rockies.

Polanco went 1-for-4 in the first game to raise his batting average to .248 on the season, but he'll head to the bench for the nightcap. Ehire Adrianza will man shortstop in his place.

Altuve went 4-for-5 with two triples and two doubles in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Marlins.

The last time a player hit two triples and doubles in the same game was in 2005 when Carl Crawford did it for Tampa Bay. Altuve's feat was just the 14th time it's occurred in MLB history. Making the accomplishment even odder was that he didn't score a run despite being in scoring position four times. Altuve, who leads the AL with a road batting average of .403, finished Houston's current trip hitting .379 (11-for-29) with six extra-base hits, five runs scored and four RBI in seven games.