MLB Player News

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.

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.