MLB Player News

Polanco (suspension) will not begin a rehab assignment this weekend due to a cut on the finger of his throwing hand, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Polanco is still in the midst of an 80-game suspension but this likely won't have any impact on his eventual return date -- which is scheduled for July 2 -- unless his finger winds up requiring more time off than expected. During 133 games last year, he slashed .256/.313/.410 with 13 home runs, 74 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

Joseph was recalled from Double-A Bowie on Friday.

Joseph will serve as infield depth for the Orioles during his second taste of action at the big-league level, with the first coming in 2013 for the Yankees. Over 59 games with Bowie this year, he's slashed .336/.394/.550 with eight home runs and 34 RBI. During Friday's game against the Marlins, Joseph will man first base and hit out of the leadoff spot.

Motter was called up from Triple-A Rochester on Friday, Brandon Warne of Zone Coverage reports.

Motter will provide the ability to defend all around the diamond, especially at the middle infield and corner outfield spots. The 28-year-old's downside is his inability to hit, which will keep his playing time to a minimum while he's with the big-league team. Over 50 games at the Triple-A level split between Rochester and Tacoma this year, Motter is slashing .190/.274/.354 with six home runs and 22 RBI.

Torres went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and two strikeouts in a 4-3 win over the Rays on Thursday.

The 21-year-old rookie continues to shine, with 13 home runs and a .928 OPS in just 156 at-bats. Torres is hitting only .233 (10-for-43) in June but still has four long balls during the month. Even regularly hitting at the bottom of the order, Torres should continue finding ways to make an impact at the plate.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 7-3 win over Oakland.

Despite Altuve's power vanishing this season, he's still a menace at the dish as always. He's slashing .338/.388/.465 with five long balls, 43 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. The 5-foot-6 superstar has five multi-hit performances in his last nine games.

Torres is set to bat fifth and start at second base against Tampa Bay on Thursday, Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News reports.

With a few regulars in Brett Gardner, Didi Gregorius and Greg Bird out of the lineup against the left-handed Blake Snell, Torres will slide up the batting order and bat out of the five spot for the third time this season. Manager Aaron Boone enjoys placing Torres ninth in the order to give the club a "second leadoff" hitter, so it's unlikely that this move is anything permanent.

Petit cleared waivers Thursday and accepted his assignment to Triple-A Rochester.

As expected, Petit will report to the Red Wings after passing through waivers unclaimed. Barring any injuries to the big-league club, the 33-year-old will likely spend the rest of the year in the minors with Jorge Polanco on the cusp of returning from suspension. Petit owns a .293/.323/.362 line across 17 games with Rochester this season.

Andrus (elbow) went hitless in three at-bats for Double-A Frisco on Wednesday and is expected to remain on his rehab assignment through the weekend, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Andrus played seven innings at shortstop Wednesday, the second time in three rehab games he's played in the field. He's been out since April 11, so the Rangers are giving him a week's worth of at-bats to get his timing down. He's gone 1-for-10 with one strikeout over his three games with the RoughRiders.

Fontana went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-6 loss to the Mariners.

He entered the game for Zack Cozart (shoulder) in the fourth inning and stroked his first homer of the season. Fontana only has two big-league hits in 31 career plate appearances, but both of them have left the yard. If Cozart's injury proves to be serious, Fontana could find himself in a platoon with David Fletcher at shortstop until Andrelton Simmons (ankle) is healthy.

Rodriguez was called up from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.

Rodriguez played in seven games for the Tigers near the start of the month, going 2-for-19 with one RBI and six strikeouts during his first taste of the big leagues. The 26-year-old will serve as a backup infielder for the time being, and it's unlikely that Rodriguez will pop up on the mixed-league radar. In a corresponding move, the Tigers placed Miguel Cabrera (biceps) on the 10-day DL.