MLB Player News

Andrus homered and scored twice in a 3-for-4 game Monday against the Angels.

Andrus is on fire in September. Monday's home run marks his 10th extra-base hit in just 15 games, and he has now scored 11 runs to go with eight RBI and an excellent .340/.417/.622 batting line this month. Andrus has his OPS up to .784 after three consecutive years of posting an OPS below .700.

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, a steal, an RBI and two runs against the White Sox on Monday.

A cold stretch got Merrifield demoted in late July, but he's been doing plenty of hitting since getting recalled Sept. 2 -- the 27-year-old rookie has gone 20-for-57 (.351) with a couple steals, nine RBI and 10 runs this month. Merrifield's been an everyday lineup presence lately, making him a viable down-the-stretch play in deeper formats.

Franklin (hamstring) is scheduled for an MRI on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The utility man has been sidelined since straining his hamstring Thursday. The exam will likely give Franklin a realistic picture of whether he'll be able to return at some point before the conclusion of the regular season in less than two weeks. The 25-year-old has slashed a solid .280/.343/.465 for the Rays in 2016, while playing five different positions and also logging time at DH.

Marte is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.

Marte has gone 0-for-6 over the last two games, so he'll get his first day off since Sept. 8. With Marte out of the lineup, Shawn O'Malley will head to shortstop and hit ninth against Doug Fister and the Astros.

Forsythe is out of Sunday's lineup against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Coming off an 0-for-4 outing Saturday, Forsythe will sit out for the first time since September 5. In his place, Alexei Ramirez will start at second base and hit eighth.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, a walk, two runs and a strikeout Saturday in an 11-2 win over Texas.

Despite struggling over much of the second half, Semien has come alive over the past week. He recorded eight hits, three walks, five runs and 13 RBI in Oakland's last six games, over which the squad averaged 10 runs a pop. He is slashing .237/.298/.440 with 67 runs, 26 homers and 69 RBI on the season.

Altuve (oblique) is back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Mariners, batting third and playing second base Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

This is extremely encouraging for Altuve to get back into the lineup Friday after leaving Wednesday's game with dreaded oblique discomfort. He'll bat in his usual spot and start at the keystone with the Astros facing ace Felix Hernandez.

Franklin (hamstring) said Friday that he hopes to return this season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The fact that Franklin said he "hopes" to return this year implies there's a chance he does not. Franklin suffered a strained hamstring during Thursday's game, which is the type of injury that might threaten to push him to the DL without expanded rosters. He said the hamstring was more sore than he expected Friday morning.

Franklin (hamstring) is not in the lineup Friday against the Orioles, Bill Chastain of the Tampa Tribune reports.

Franklin left Thursday's tilt early with a hamstring strain, and it seems to still be bothering him. It's still unclear how severe the ailment is, so it's unclear how long he'll be sidelined. For Friday night, Alexei Ramirez will man shortstop and bat eighth.

Semien went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and four RBI in Thursday's 14-5 win over the Royals.

Semien helped his teammates pile on as they completed a four-game sweep, capping Oakland's bonanza with a three-run homer in the eighth inning. He also contributed a run-scoring double earlier in the contest, matching his season high for RBI in a single game. Semien's struggled during the second half, but his bat came alive during the Royals series with a pair of homers and 10 RBI. The slugging shortstop now has 25 home runs and 66 RBI on the season -- both career highs -- but is slashing just .235/.296/.436.