MLB Player News

Franklin (hamstring) hopes to return before Sunday's game against the Rangers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franklin is dealing with a sore hamstring but hopes that he'll be ready to play before the Rays' season finale Sunday. If Franklin is able to return, look for him to appear in the Tampa Bay outfield or at their DH spot.

Merrifield got his first career start at first base Sunday and went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, a stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI in a win over the Tigers.

He's now hitting .329/.365/.443 in 79 September at-bats, and Merrifield's bat and defensive versatility will likely make him the Royals' top utility player in 2017.

Andrus is not in the lineup Sunday against the A's.

Andrus' fantastic showing at the plate continued Saturday, as he went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. However, he'll have Sunday off as Hanser Alberto gets the nod at shortstop.

Forsythe went 1-for-5 with a solo homer in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Red Sox.

The veteran made things momentarily interesting against closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth with a 362-foot solo shot, his 20th round-tripper of the season. It marks the first time Forsythe has reached the milestone in his career and comes on the heels of his previous best of 17 homers he posted last season. The 29-year-old's season line now stands at a solid .274/.344/.464.

Andrus went 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run homers in Saturday's 5-0 victory over the A's.

The veteran shortstop enjoyed a rare power surge, almost single-handedly defeating the A's in the process. He blasted a 408-foot shot in the second to bring home Jared Hoying and then provided a 414-foot encore in the sixth that plated Ryan Rua. The 28-year-old now has four homers and 12 RBI in September, with the former serving as his best monthly figure in that category this season. Saturday's banner performance brought Andrus' season line to a solid .299/.359/.438, and his 68 RBI are a new career high.

Franklin (hamstring) will serve as the designated hitter and bat sixth Saturday against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

As of Tuesday, Franklin was said to be eyeing a return during the final weekend of the regular season, but evidently he's progressed quicker than expected. Franklin has hit .295/.363/.508 against right-handed pitching this season and was playing regularly between shortstop, second base, left field and first base before going down with the hamstring injury.

Forsythe went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

After tallying only a single in his previous nine at-bats, Forsythe bounced back with his seventh multi-hit effort of September. The veteran is closing out the season in fine fashion, with a .313/.403/.463 line in 67 at-bats this month.

Marte is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays, the Tacoma News Tribune's Bob Dutton reports.

Marte is 3-for-19 over his last six games and 0-for-9 over his last three games. Shawn O'Malley will start at shortstop and bat ninth Tuesday.

Franklin (hamstring) hopes to return for the final weekend of the season, Roger Mooney of the Tamp Bay Times reports.

He has a moderate hamstring strain that could keep him out for the remainder of the season, but he's hoping to get back out for the final series in Texas to end on a healthy note. Franklin hit .280/.343/.465 with six home runs and six steals in 174 plate appearances this year, marking easily his most productive season to date at the plate. However, he grades out as a below-average defender and started games at left field (17), first base (nine), second base (eight), right field (six), shortstop (four) and DH (two), so it's possible he may enter 2017 as nothing more than a part-time utility player.

Franklin (hamstring) remains out of the lineup Tuesday against the Yankees, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE reports.

He underwent an MRI on Monday, the results of which have not yet been made public. This will be the fourth game in a row that Franklin will miss with the hamstring strain. Mikie Mahtook will start in right field and bat sixth Tuesday.