MLB Player News

Drury went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

The homer was his third of the spring, bolstering a .340/.392/.638 slash line, but the more important development is that Jays manager Charlie Montoyo continues to give Drury a look in the leadoff spot. If he can hang onto that assignment, the team's Opening Day third baseman could be a bit of a steal in the late rounds of fantasy drafts this weekend.

The Tigers selected Beckham's contract and officially added him the 40-man roster Saturday.

The transaction coupled with Ronny Rodriguez's demotion to Triple-A Toledo means that Beckham will break camp with the big club as the Tigers' top utility infielder. The 32-year-old enjoyed a strong spring at the plate and showcased solid defense at both middle-infield spots, allowing him to beat out Rodriguez for the reserve job. With Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer expected to handle everyday roles for Detroit, Beckham likely won't be asked to make more than a start or two per week, effectively keeping him off the radar for fantasy purposes.

The Tigers optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Toledo on Saturday, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

With Detroit demoting Rodriguez and opening up a spot on the 40-man roster by shifting Michael Fulmer (elbow) to the 60-day injured list, Gordon Beckham has secured a utility infield role with the big club. Rodriguez has little left to prove in the minors after slashing .338/.365/.558 in 275 plate appearances in Toledo a season ago, so he should be near the top of the list for a promotion when the Tigers need an extra infielder.

Forsythe was told Friday he'd made the Rangers' Opening Day roster, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Forsythe hasn't been officially added to the 40-man roster yet, but a transaction is presumably coming soon. The veteran will fill a bench role in the infield this season.

Kemp went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Thursday's game against the Tigers.

Kemp has been locked in during spring training, posting a .992 OPS with four stolen bases. He's going to start the season on the bench, but if he's making this type of impact, Kemp could get starts at designated hitter. Tyler White will open the season as the primary DH, but manager AJ Hinch said he'll rotate bodies at the position.

Drury went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Braves.

More interestingly, the third baseman was in the leadoff spot even though Billy McKinney and Randal Grichuk were both in the Jays' lineup as well. The identity of the players likely to hit at the top of the Toronto order remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in the Toronto camp. If Drury can put himself in that mix despite his .314 career OBP, his fantasy value could get a boost.

Semien went 3-for-6 with an RBI single and a run in an extra-innings loss to the Mariners in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday.

Semien's parlayed his move to the leadoff spot into one of two multi-hit efforts for the Athletics on the evening, and his fifth-inning single that drove home Matt Olson produced the team's first run. Semien's quest to put together an impressive contract year is off to a fine start, as he went 4-for-8 with two RBI and two runs over the season-opening two-game set against the Mariners.

Semien is starting at shortstop and hitting leadoff Thursday against the Mariners.

Semien hit seventh in the season opener, going 1-for-2 with an RBI single, two walks and a run scored. Ramon Laureano went 0-for-5 with a trio of strikeouts as the leadoff man Wednesday, prompting the A's to give the shortstop a chance atop the order. Semien hit leadoff In 69 games last season, slashing .243/.311/.394 with eight homers and eight steals in 322 plate appearances in those contests.

Semien went 1-for-2 with an RBI single, two walks and a run in a 9-7 loss to the Mariners in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday.

Semien's single to shallow left gave the Athletics a second-inning lead that would begin evaporating in the following frame. The efficient performance at the plate was nevertheless a positive sign for the veteran shortstop, who was able to do his damage while hitting seventh. With a plethora of capable bats hitting ahead of him in the lineup, Semien should still have a fair share of RBI opportunities throughout the season despite his less-than-ideal slotting in the order.

Lowe agreed to a six-year, $24 million contract with the Rays on Tuesday that includes two club options, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Lowe has only 148 major-league plate appearances to his name and has been competing for an outfield spot on the Rays' Opening Day roster this spring. The 24-year-old enjoyed a hot spring training as he went 14-for-39 (.359) with nine extra-base hits and 14 RBI, though he also had 15 strikeouts. Lowe began 2018 at Double-A Montgomery, but worked his way to the majors and had a .774 OPS with six home runs after being called up in early August.