MLB Player News

Merrifield is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Merrifield will take a seat after starting in the Royals' previous 21 games in what amounts to little more than a rest day. Ramon Torres will replace Merrifield at the keystone and assume his usual spot atop the lineup.

Motter is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Though he'll hit the bench Sunday while Tyler Smith mans shortstop, Motter should continue to serve as the primary option at the position until Jean Segura (hamstring) comes off the disabled list. With Segura set to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma on Monday, his return to the Mariners could come before the end of the week. That would likely spell the end to Motter's run of everyday at-bats, though the 27-year-old's defensive versatility will make him one of the top candidates to enter the lineup if one of the team's other regulars should succumb to an injury at some point.

Polanco will start at shortstop and lead off Sunday against the Indians, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

It will likely only be a one-game stay at the top of the order for Polanco since Twins manager Paul Molitor is opting to give normal leadoff man Brian Dozier the day off in the series finale. Until he's able to boost his .299 on-base percentage to a more impressive level, Polanco should settle into a bottom-third spot in the order more often than not.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Red Sox.

Altuve snapped out of five-game funk and has multiple hits in three consecutive games, a stretch in which he has seven hits in 10 at-bats with a homer, four doubles and five runs. Altuve's 85 hits this season put him tied for fifth in MLB.

Solarte went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI during Saturday's win over Milwaukee.

Solarte's second homer was a timely two-run shot in the top of the 10th inning, but then Milwaukee tied the game in the bottom half of the frame. Regardless, the Friars pulled off the win, and Solarte is now up to a respectable nine round trippers, 39 RBI and 27 runs with a .264/.346/.411 slash line. Hitting in the heart of the San Diego lineup provides a nice fantasy floor in deep settings, and Solarte projects to remain a serviceable asset.

Torres suffered a hyperextended left elbow Saturday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and will undergo further evaluation Monday.

X-rays were negative, but he could still end up hitting the minor-league DL with the injury. The expectation has been that Torres is on the fast track to replacing Chase Headley at the hot corner at some point this season, though a significant injury would likely change his short-term trajectory. The 20-year-old shortstop was hitting .304/.404/.443 with two home runs, two steals (on four attempts) and a 26:13 K:BB in 94 Triple-A plate appearances after abusing Double-A pitchers in a similar fashion earlier this season.

Torres was removed from Saturday's Triple-A contest in the third inning after apparently injuring himself while sliding into home, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

This could be an extremely tough blow for one of the Yankees' top prospects, who was just starting to turn it on since earning a promotion to Triple-A. Torres looked to be in some serious pain after appearing to injure his arm or shoulder while sliding headfirst into home. The severity of his injury isn't known at this point, but more should be known once he is further evaluated in the coming days.

Rodriguez (oblique) was activated from the disabled list Saturday.

Rodriguez is good to go after missing the first part of June with an oblique injury. The 25-year-old is currently currently slashing .258/.304/.353 across 47 games with Columbus this season.

Solarte's lone hit in five at-bats was a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Brewers.

The solo blast was the second baseman's fourth home run in 13 games, putting him back on pace to top last season's mark of 15. Solarte is also on pace to set a new career high in RBI after posting 71 last year. While his numbers don't jump off the page, that kind of run production from a second baseman certainly has its place in fantasy, especially while he bats cleanup for the Padres.

Semien (wrist), who took batting practice before Friday's game for the first time since his injury, could begin a minor-league rehab assignment as early as next week, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports. "He's progressed really nicely to get to this point, and we all know he wants to get out there and play and get on a rehab assignment as soon as he can," manager Bob Melvin said. "If we feel good about where he's at, then in potentially a week or so maybe he looks to get out on a rehab assignment."

The slugging shortstop has been improving at a brisk clip and appears to be on the brink of a return to game action. Semien has already missed 56 games as a result of his April 18 surgery, which has provided promising rookie Chad Pinder extended playing time. Assuming he doesn't encounter any setbacks the rest of the way, Semien currently projects for an early July return to the big-league club.