MLB Player News

Joseph was designated for assignment Friday.

Joseph appeared in four games earlier in the season for the Orioles, going 1-for-9. He's hit .332/.398/.534 in 67 games for Double-A Bowie this season, but his age (29) and lack of major-league experience will make him fairly likely to pass through waivers unclaimed.

Sweeney's contract was selected by the Blue Jays on Friday.

Sweeney hasn't appeared in the majors since an unimpressive 37-game stint for the Phillies back in 2015, when he hit just .176/.286/.353. The 27-year-old has hit a mediocre .232/.314/.439 in 47 games for Triple-A Buffalo this season, receiving starts at four different positions. He'll fill a utility role for the Blue Jays.

Drury was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as expected Friday.

Drury spent longer than initially expected in the minor leagues after originally being sent there on a rehab assignment while dealing with impaired vision and migraines. He performed very well at the Triple-A level, hitting .314/.419/.488 in 48 games. The emergence of Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres likely means that Drury won't have the playing time that he was originally in line for, but he'll still likely play an important role as a utility man.

Motter was placed on the 7-day concussion disabled list Friday, source reports.

Motter will be out until at least July 6, though recovery times from concussions are difficult to predict. Prior to the injury, Motter had hit just .138/.242/.241 in 15 games for the Mariners and Twins. Willians Astudillo was called up to take his place on the roster.

Lopez was promoted to Triple-A Omaha on Friday, Rustin Dodd of The Athletic Kansas City reports.

Lopez hit a strong .331/.397/.416 in 73 games for Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season. Don't expect him to be promoted again this year, though, as the Royals have talked about giving him a full year at the Triple-A level so he won't have to be protected on the 40-man roster this offseason. The 23-year-old projects as a fringe regular long term, with a solid glove and a decent amount of contact but very little power.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a run in a win over the Tigers on Thursday.

Offensive success has been relatively sparse for the shortstop recently, as even factoring in Thursday's production, he's hit just .198 in June. His tally against the Tigers represented only his fourth multi-hit effort of the month, but it did snap him out of a 2-for-24 slump that had encompassed his previous six games. There were hopes for a resurgent season for Semien after a wrist injury cost him significant time in 2017, but his .248/.302/.366 line through 364 plate appearances is actually slightly poorer overall than the .249/.325/.398 he slashed in 22 additional PAs last season.

Drury will be called up ahead of Friday's series opener against the Red Sox, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

After a lengthy stay at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Drury is ready for his first major league game since going on the disabled list April 7. Drury played in all 24 June games at Triple-A and registered a .311/.404/.522 slash line over that 90 at-bat sample. The Yankees have yet to announce a corresponding move to clear a spot for Drury on the active roster.

Fontana was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday, Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group reports.

Fontana only spent one day with the Angels during his most recent appearance in the big leagues. The infielder will return to the minors for the time being, though it's likely he will continue to get shipped back and forth between the two levels in order to provide extra depth.

Polanco (suspension, finger) was moved to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday.

Polanco will take the next step in his rehab assignment after appearing in a couple games with High-A Fort Myers earlier this week. He is expected to play in both games of a doubleheader Thursday, which should give the organization a better idea of whether he will be ready to return to Minnesota on Monday.

Fontana was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Fontana will join the Angels in Boston, marking his third cup of coffee with the team this season. The infielder has played in eight games, going 1-for-11 with a solo home run during his brief opportunity in the big leagues. Look for him to supply a little additional depth moving forward, though it's highly unlikely that he will make much of an impact.