MLB Player News

Andrus is out of the lineup Sunday against the Astros.

It's a routine day off for Andrus, who will hand over shortstop duties to Jurickson Profar. Andrus has caught fire at the plate since the start of August, slashing .315/.371/.380 over 105 plate appearances while racking up 13 RBI, 12 runs and eight steals.

Altuve (calf) is in the lineup Sunday against the Rangers, Angel Verdejo of the Houston Chronicle. He'll serve as the designated hitter and bat third in the order.

Altuve hurt his right calf while trying to leg out a double play in the ninth inning of Saturday's game. Though he'll get a day out of the field in order to reduce any discomfort, Altuve's presence in the lineup at DH shouldn't alter his outlook at the plate. He'll remain an easy activation heading into the upcoming week and could return to second base duties as soon as Monday's series opener with the Indians.

Franklin is out of the lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franklin had started the past three games in right field, but he'll give way to Steven Souza with left-hander J.A. Happ on the hill for the Jays. With Franklin batting .348 since his return from a concussion Aug. 27, he should be in the lineup more often than not for the Rays over the final month of the season.

Altuve is dealing with right calf discomfort and is considered day-to-day, Angel Verdejo of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve was injured trying to beat out a game-ending double play in the ninth inning Saturday. With him listed as day-to-day he will have a chance to play Sunday, but the Astros could opt to give him a day to rest and recover.

Marte had two hits and three RBI on Friday in a win against the Angels.

Marte has picked it up recently, hitting .320 with a .346 OBP in his last 14 games, though he only has two extra-base hits (both doubles) in that span. Marte played well early in the season, but he hasn't gotten back to that level after a couple DL stints. The Mariners tried to acquire a shortstop at the trade deadline, and it wouldn't surprise if they tried again in the offseason. Marte likely needs a solid September to make his case for 2017.

Semien was 0-for-3 Friday night against the Red Sox to lower his average to .239.

Semien has been hanging out around .240 most of the season, but up until the last month he had at least been pairing that with nice power. Semien's pop has dried up recently as he only has one homer to go with six RBI since August first. Semien does have 23 bombs on the season, but could be tiring as he heads to the finish line of a long season.

The Royals recalled Merrifield from Triple-A Omaha on Friday.

Merrifield has played with Omaha since late July, but he saw extensive action with the Royals earlier this season, appearing in 53 games. He played both the infield and outfield at both levels, so he figures to work as a super-utility player for the big club during September.

Forsythe went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and a walk in a loss to the Red Sox on Wednesday.

He hit a two-run blast to give the Rays a lead in the second and then tied the game on a two-run single in the eighth, but Tampa Bay would fall 8-6. Forsythe recorded eight multi-hit games, six home runs, 13 RBI and 17 runs in August. He is slashing .273/.340/.471 with 17 bombs, 46 RBI and 61 runs in 395 at-bats.

Barreto was promoted to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.

The A's brought up Joey Wendle from Nashville on Wednesday, so Barreto will take his place on the Sounds' roster over the final 12 days of the season. The top prospect in Oakland's system, Barreto won't turn 21 until Feb. 27, so the fact that he has already reached Triple-A is an extremely rare feat. He uses super quick wrists and strong forearms to really impact the ball, especially to the pull side. Barreto got off to a slow start at Double-A this year, but he is hitting .339/.392/.484 with three home runs and 14 steals (on 21 attempts) in 45 games since the All-Star break.

Polanco is out of Tuesday's lineup against Cleveland, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Polanco will have the night off and give way to Eduardo Escobar at shortstop when the Twins face Josh Tomlin and the Indians on Tuesday night. Polanco will likely return to action for Wednesday's series finale against the Indians.