MLB Player News

Chavis (suspension) is able to return to action Monday and will report to short-season Lowell, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Chavis is expected to be activated after serving an 80-game suspension for the use of a performance-enhancing substance. He slashed .250/.310/.492 with 14 homers and 39 RBI through 67 games for the Sea Dogs in 2017 and, after this stint at the lower level, he should return to them later this season after getting back in game shape.

Sweeney was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo following Sunday's 9-1 loss to the Tigers, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Sweeney was summoned from the bench as a defensive replacement late in the blowout loss Sunday, representing his first big-league action since 2015. The 27-year-old's potential return to Toronto will get a little easier after he was added to the 40-man roster Friday, but he's unlikely to be anything more than a lightly used bench bat the next time he receives a cup of coffee.

Hernandez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rockies.

Hernandez has historically done most of his damage against lefties, but manager Dave Roberts had kept the utility man in the lineup for their last five games against right-handers in an effort to ride his hot bat. The 26-year-old's starting streak will come to an end Sunday against Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis, but after finishing June with a .348 on-base percentage and seven home runs, Hernandez should retain at least a semi-regular spot in the Dodgers lineup.

Barreto is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

It looks like Barreto's time as an everyday player for the Athletics could soon be coming to an end. Per Slusser, the Athletics anticipate that Matt Chapman (hand) will be ready to return from the 10-day disabled list Tuesday against the Padres, at which point he would step back in as the team's everyday third baseman while Jed Lowrie heads back to the keystone. That would leave no path to consistent at-bats for Barreto in the middle infield, so it's expected that he'll be sent back to New Orleans after what has been an up-and-down stint with the big club. In 12 games since his June 15 promotion, Barreto has gone 11-for-45 (.244 average) with three home runs and 10 RBI, but he has struck out in 43.5 percent of his plate appearances.

Twins manager Paul Molitor said Polanco (suspension) will be reinstated Monday and rejoin the lineup later that day for the team's game against the Brewers, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Unless Polanco experiences an unexpected setback with the finger infection he battled prior to heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment June 24, he'll likely be reinstalled as the Twins' everyday shortstop, bumping Ehire Adrianza to a reserve role. Polanco, who has gone 8-for-19 with a home run and four walks across six games between two minor-league affiliates, should provide a significant boost to the Minnesota offense after emerging as one of baseball's top hitters in the second half of last season. The 24-year-old slashed an impressive .293/.359/.511 with 10 home runs and seven steals after the All-Star break and profiled as an intriguing fantasy option at shortstop entering 2018 before he was handed an 80-game suspension in March for violating MLB's policy against performance-enhancing drugs.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that Marte wouldn't start Sunday's game against the Giants after suffering a right hamstring cramp in Saturday's 7-0 loss, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Marte felt his hamstring act up while he was running out an infield single in the bottom of the seventh inning. He was checked out by the team trainer and was able to walk off the field under his own power after the play, with the diagnosis of a cramp amounting to good news for the infielder. Lovullo said that Marte would be evaluated prior to Sunday's contest and could be available off the bench.

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a run scored Saturday against the Mariners.

Merrifield collected three singles, so it wasn't his most productive three-hit game. That remains a trend for him, as he has now failed to record an extra-base hit in his past three games, all of which of have been multi-hit efforts. While his .289 batting average and .362 on-base percentage are strong, Merrifield has not homered since May 14, so expecting power production from him moving forward is not advisable.

Albies went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's win over the Cardinals.

Albies drove in Max Fried with a ground-rule double in the fifth inning and singled in Ender Inciarte in the sixth. Though he rested Wednesday to nurse a sore foot, he's enjoying a 10-game hitting streak in which he's 21-for-47 (.447) with seven RBI and 11 runs scored, curing his 8-for-61 skid across his first 14 June games.

Marte left Saturday's game after appearing to favor his right leg or hamstring following an infield single, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The infielder walked off the field under his own power accompanied by a trainer, but he went down in pain after crossing first base. Expect the Diamondbacks to provide an update on Marte in the near future.

Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in a loss to the Rockies on Saturday.

With his 14th home run of the year, the 26-year-old provided the only tally Los Angeles could muster against a dominant German Marquez. Hernandez's versatility works in his favor for the chance at semi-regular work, especially since he's already set a new seasonal best in big flies and has filled in admirably for several key positions affected by injuries.