MLB Player News

Espinosa socked a three-run homer in the top of the ninth Tuesday against the A's, turning a 6-4 deficit into the 7-6 final score. It was his only hit in four at-bats on the night.

He'd left three men on base earlier in the game, so Espinosa stepped up to the plate in the ninth with a chance at redemption, and he delivered. Espinosa's coming off a career-high 24 homers, but he also hit just .209 last season thanks to a boatload of strikeouts. If he keeps selling out to hit home runs, it'll be fair to expect more of the same this year.

Torres will receive reps at second and third base in addition to shortstop, Matt Kardos of MLB.com reports.

The tentative plan is for Torres to play three games at shortstop, followed by two at third base and two at second. Torres is already one of the most promising prospects in the Yankees' system, but adding to his repertoire of positions would only increase his value and enable him to make his major-league debut wherever the club deems its infield the weakest.

Merrifield was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

A mediocre spring showing and adequate infield depth left the Royals without much of a need for Merrifield on the 25-man roster. Over 29 games this spring he hit .267 with a .710 OPS. Although it's likely that he'll make his way up to the big club at some point this season, Merrifield will return to Omaha, where he'll be in a position to get frequent reps at second base.

Franklin was designated for assignment by the Rays on Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Although Franklin followed up a decent 2016 campaign with a strong showing this spring, the Rays simply needed to trim their roster down Saturday with Opening Day approaching. While Franklin offers positional versatility, Topkin notes that the club felt more confident in Daniel Robertson's ability to serve as the backup shortstop. Franklin will now be available on waivers, but could return to the Rays if he goes unclaimed.

Motter has made the Mariners' 25-man roster, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The versatile 27-year-old parlayed a strong spring into a spot on the Opening Day roster. Motter hit .293 with three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI over 70 plate appearances this spring after a forgettable cup of coffee with the Rays last season when he slashed just .188/.290/.300. His ability to play up to seven positions and Shawn O'Malley's current absence due to a recent appendectomy likely helped seal the deal for Motter, who is also a stolen-base threat and has three seasons with more than 20 thefts on his minor-league resume.

The Mariners signed Beckham to a minor-league deal Friday, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.

The second baseman was granted his release by the Giants last week after putting up a weak spring line (.194/.268/.250 in 36 at-bats). Beckham will serve as organizational infield depth and could see major-league time later in the season.

Altuve went 1-for-2 with his first spring home run in Thursday's exhibition game against the Cubs.

Altuve has settled back into training camp after a stint with Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. He's hit in five straight games, a stretch that includes four extra-base hits and four RBI. He hit third in the batting order, the spot in which he hit most often last season when he posted a career-high 96 RBI.

Semien, who was 0-for-3 against the Royals on Monday in his return from an illness, went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 15-12 Cactus League loss to the Cubs.

Semien, who blasted a career-best 27 homers in 2016, launched only his second round-tripper of spring off Cubs starter John Lackey in the third inning. The 26-year-old brings plenty of pop but will look to improve his 22.4 percent strikeout rate from 2016 in the coming season.

Giavotella will begin the season with Triple-A Norfolk, Roch Kubatko of MASN reports.

The 29-year-old was in the running for a reserve infield spot with Baltimore, but his .701 OPS ultimately wasn't enough to warrant a spot on the 40-man roster. Giavotella will likely spend a good amount of time in the minors, although his major-league experience could help him be one of the first players called up if someone in the major-league infield gets injured or falters significantly.

Franklin (illness) will start at second base and bat eighth in the order in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franklin was scratched from Tuesday's lineup while he dealt with the illness, but the Rays never expected him to require much recovery time. Though he'll start Wednesday, Franklin won't have a path to an everyday role to begin the season with Brad Miller expected to occupy the keystone more often than not. However, Franklin's ability to play just about everywhere on the diamond as well as the corner outfield should help him find a handful of at-bats every week.