MLB Player News

Motter was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Motter is hitting a weak .188 with two home runs, nine RBI and 11 runs this season but appeared to be in line for some playing time after the Rays traded Brandon Guyer to the Indians. However, he will now head back to Triple-A without seeing the field while Richie Shaffer gets promoted to the big leagues in a corresponding roster move.

Polanco went 2-for-4 with two doubles in Tuesday's win over Cleveland. He's 7-for-18 in four games since being recalled from Triple-A.

If Polanco continues to hit, he'll likely stay in the lineup even though it's not clear where he fits. He can play multiple infield positions, so he may take over the utility role, However, with the Twins looking toward 2017, Polanco could be a sneaky pick up as he could get regular at-bats the rest of the season.

Altuve homered and scored twice in a 2-for-6 game in a win Monday over the Blue Jays.

Altuve continues to extend his career high in home runs. After hitting 15 in 154 games last year, he now has 19 in just 105 this season. He already has 25 steals this year, so his next home run will add him to the 20-20 club. If he can get that home run soon, he might be the first to reach 20-20 this season -- however, he'll have to be quick, as Wil Myers is just one stolen base away.

Motter will be recalled from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday.

Motter becomes the ultimate beneficiary of the trade that sent Brandon Guyer to Cleveland. Despite slashing just .188/.290/.300 this season, he'll serve as outfield depth for the Rays. The rookie hasn't fared much better in Triple-A this year, hitting just .217 through 57 games, so it's hard to expect much out of him.

Marte (illness) is expected to begin a brief rehab assignment Wednesday for Triple-A Tacoma, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Marte has sidelined since July 17 due to mono. While he should be able to return within a week or so, it's unclear how much strength he has lost to the illness. That said, neither Shawn O'Malley nor Luis Sardinas have set the world on fire in Marte's absence, so if he shows well in his rehab assignment, he should be able to work his way back into the starting lineup quickly.

Andrus is out of the lineup Sunday against the Royals, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The off day isn't out of the ordinary for Andrus, who will rest for the third time since the All-Star break. He's gotten off to a lukewarm start to the second half, producing a .262/.340/.333 batting line to go along with no steals and just three runs and RBI. Jurickson Profar will cover shortstop with Andrus sitting out.

Forsythe went 2-for-5 with a solo homer in Friday's 5-1 victory over the Yankees.

The Rays' leadoff man jump-started the offense in the home half of the first, launching a 396-foot shot off Ivan Nova. Although he's seen a 31-point drop in his average since July 1, Forsythe has started to pick it back up at the plate since the All-Star break. He's hit safely in eight of his last nine games, and has five multi-hit efforts so far in the second half.

Giavotella is out of the lineup for Friday's matchup with Boston.

Giavotella will be replaced in the lineup by Gregorio Petit who's starting at second and batting ninth. After collecting only two hits in eight games between July 9 and July 24, Giavotella appears to have found his stroke again as he's gone 9-for-15 (.600) in his last four games.

Franklin was recalled by the Rays on Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays were hit hard by the injury bug Friday, placing Logan Morrison (forearm) and Oswaldo Arcia (elbow) on the disabled list. With that, the Rays recalled Franklin on Friday to help keep the struggling offense afloat. He slashed .313/.377/.458 with 13 RBI during his six-week stint with the big league club earlier this season. Franklin figures to see most of his playing time at one of the corner outfield spots while he's up with the Rays.

Marte (illness) has progressed to hitting in a cage and throwing, but it is unknown whether he will be ready to play when he comes off the DL on Thursday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Manager Scott Servais says that Marte is coming along better than expected and it appears the shortstop is well on his way to a full recovery. Nonetheless, expectations for his return should be tempered. The 22-year-old has lost a bit of strength from the mono and it's likely he will be eased back into the starting role when he comes back. Marte's bat is needed, Seattle shortstops are hitting just over .200 in his absence.