MLB Player News

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.

Barreto went 2-for-5 with a single and a two-run homer in his major-league debut Saturday.

Despite running on fumes -- he admitted that he didn't sleep after learning of his callup -- Barreto muscled a home run off James Shields in his first career start. The 21-year-old packs a real punch despite standing just 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, as evidenced by his eight homers with Triple-A Nashville prior to his promotion. Barreto figures to see starts at second base and short while several of the A's veteran infielders are on the mend.

Lopez is hitting .299 with 14 stolen bases in 22 attempts for High-A Wilmington this season.

While the 63.3 percent success rate on stolen bases isn't amazing, the best testament to Lopez's speed has been his ability to stretch hits into extra bases. Of his 83 hits, 11 have gone for doubles while seven have been triples. He only has two home runs, suggesting the raw power isn't there for the Kansas City prospect, but his legs give him the ability to stretch hits as much as possible.

Barreto has been added to Saturday's lineup against the White Sox, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

The 21-year-old will man second base and bat seventh against right-hander James Shields in his major-league debut. Barreto was originally slated to sit Saturday, but Jed Lowrie's scratch opened the door for Barreto to debut a day early. He admitted that he didn't get any sleep after learning of his callup and is running on adrenaline.