MLB Player News

Motter went 2-for-4 with an RBI from a sacrifice fly in Tuesday's 12-3 win over the Twins. He also notched his seventh stolen base of the season.

Motter has put together a modest six-game hitting streak, posting a .368 average and .393 wOBA in 22 plate appearances over that span. The versatile utility man continues to see playing time all over the field, with the majority of his recent starts coming at shortstop in the wake of Jean Segura's absence with an ankle injury.

Semien (wrist) hit off a tee with his game bat Wednesday, the first time he has done so since undergoing surgery, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

It's another small but positive step in the recovery process for Semien, who is likely out until at least July as he continues to rebuild strength. The shortstop clearly has some monumental hurdles to clear before he's able to return to regular action, meaning Chad Pinder will continue receiving plenty of opportunities to prove his place.

Polanco was placed on the bereavement list Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Polanco was a late scratch from Tuesday's lineup as he left to attend to the personal matters. He'll miss a minimum of three games and maximum of seven while out, as Ehire Adrianza and Eduardo Escobar fill in at shortstop in his absence. Kennys Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move.

Polanco has temporarily left the Twins in order to return home to the Dominican Republic to attend to family matters, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Polanco was a late scratch from the lineup Tuesday and now we know why. He'll likely be away from the team for at least a couple of days. Eduardo Escobar and Ehire Adrianza will likely man the shortstop position in the meantime.

Polanco was scratched from the lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Mariners, Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

When the original lineups were released Tuesday, Polanco was penciled in as the team's starting shortstop. Manager Paul Moliter ultimately elected to make a lineup switch, replacing Polanco with Ehire Adrianza at shortstop. It's unclear if Polanco injured himself during warmups or if it was simply a strategical switch. We'll update his status if further information becomes available.

Despite homering on Monday, Herrera is hitting just .242/.293/.358 in 185 plate appearances at Triple-A Louisville.

Reds fans would like to see some immediate returns from the Jay Bruce trade, but a promotion for Herrera seems nowhere near in the offing. Factor in Zack Cozart's great start at shortstop (negating the potential of trading him and shifting Jose Peraza over to shortstop), and Herrera could remain mired in Louisville for the bulk of the season.

Marte is hitting .381/.418/.555 with four home runs and seven stolen bases across 251 plate appearances at Triple-A Reno this season.

A .410 BABIP aided by the friendly hitting confines of the Pacific Coast League is surely propping up Marte's batting line, but even after accounting for the offensive environment, it's hard not to be impressed with the 23-year-old's numbers. Marte's speed and slap-hitting skills have always allowed him to maintain high batting averages in the minors, but he's also been able to tap into more power than ever this season. Twenty-seven of his 90 hits have gone for extra bases, and he's smacked home runs in three of his last five games, including one off rehabbing Mets starter Steven Matz (elbow). Marte is doing everything necessary to make his case for a promotion, but unfortunately, his services aren't needed with middle infielders Chris Owings, Brandon Drury and Nick Ahmed all performing well for the big club.

Albies was placed on the 7-day DL with Triple-A Gwinnett after fouling a ball off his left foot Monday, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The Braves' No. 3 prospect will be re-evaluated Tuesday, but at this point the injury isn't thought to be more than a contusion. Albies has had a hard time building any momentum at the plate this season, posting a .262/.311/.391 slash line through 54 games, but the 20-year-old is 15-for-16 on stolen base attempts.

Semien (wrist) is being brought along slowly in his rehab and may not return until July, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports Monday.

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Semien is on the 60-day disabled list and isn't eligible to return until mid-June anyway. Semien may not be able to count on a full-time job upon his return, as Chad Pinder has been raking at shortstop in his absence, posting a .904 OPS and seven home runs over 30 games.

Merrifield will start at second base and lead off Monday against the Astros, Julia Morales of Root Sports Southwest reports.

After extending his hitting streak to 19 games with a trio of singles Sunday against the Indians, Merrifield will be rewarded with a move up in the lineup. He'll jump from the sixth spot to the leadoff position, bumping Alcides Escobar down to the bottom third of the order.