MLB Player News

Andrus went 1-for-4 with a two-run triple in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Nationals.

Andrus' second three-bagger of the season came during a four-run eighth inning that ended up deciding the game. The triple was the 24th extra-base hit of the season for Andrus, who is now carrying a career-high .463 slugging percentage to go with his typically sound production in batting average (.301), runs (37) and steals (15). Andrus' excellent all-around contributions have arguably made him the top fantasy shortstop through the first two-plus months of the season.

Semien was able to hit soft toss Sunday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Semien had previously been hitting off a tee, so hitting soft-toss throws amounts to incremental progress. The true test for Semien's wrist won't come until he's able to take batting practice, but it's unclear how close he is to reaching that phase of the recovery process. In the meantime, Chad Pinder will continue to serve as the Athletics' everyday shortstop while the team awaits Semien's return from the disabled list.

Polanco, who is on the bereavement list to attend the funeral of his grandfather, is expected to return Monday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Ehire Adrianza and Eduardo Escobar will continue to split time at shortstop while Polanco is away.

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a two-run, go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of Thursday's 6-1 win over the Royals.

Altuve, who has been terrific away from Minute Maid park, finished up the team's current road trip hitting .439 with two homers and seven RBI over 10 games. He entered the game with a .422 road batting average and 1.187 OPS.

Espinosa went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and a run scored during Thursday's win over Detroit.

This was Espinosa's first multi-hit showing since May 19, and he posted a disastrous .488 OPS during the 14-game stretch. The first-year Angel has struggled all season and sports a .165/.246/.299 slash line for the campaign. Espinosa checks out as a desperation fantasy asset at this stage of the of the game.

Espinosa is not in Wednesday's lineup for the Angels contest against Detroit.

For the third time in the past four games, Espinosa will head to the bench. The second baseman went 0-for-4 during Tuesday's series opener against the Tigers and is batting just .150/.235/.281 this season. Cliff Pennington will take over at second base while batting eighth.

Motter went 2-for-4 with an RBI from a sacrifice fly in Tuesday's 12-3 win over the Twins. He also notched his seventh stolen base of the season.

Motter has put together a modest six-game hitting streak, posting a .368 average and .393 wOBA in 22 plate appearances over that span. The versatile utility man continues to see playing time all over the field, with the majority of his recent starts coming at shortstop in the wake of Jean Segura's absence with an ankle injury.

Semien (wrist) hit off a tee with his game bat Wednesday, the first time he has done so since undergoing surgery, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

It's another small but positive step in the recovery process for Semien, who is likely out until at least July as he continues to rebuild strength. The shortstop clearly has some monumental hurdles to clear before he's able to return to regular action, meaning Chad Pinder will continue receiving plenty of opportunities to prove his place.

Polanco was placed on the bereavement list Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Polanco was a late scratch from Tuesday's lineup as he left to attend to the personal matters. He'll miss a minimum of three games and maximum of seven while out, as Ehire Adrianza and Eduardo Escobar fill in at shortstop in his absence. Kennys Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move.

Polanco has temporarily left the Twins in order to return home to the Dominican Republic to attend to family matters, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Polanco was a late scratch from the lineup Tuesday and now we know why. He'll likely be away from the team for at least a couple of days. Eduardo Escobar and Ehire Adrianza will likely man the shortstop position in the meantime.