MLB Player News

Forsythe is being held out of Saturday's lineup due to right hip flexor tightness, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

It appeared Forsythe was getting a simple day off Saturday when he was not listed in the Dodgers' starting lineup, but it is now apparent that he was held out to give his ailing hip a break. Forsythe is considered day-to-day, so it remains to be seen if he will miss any further action.

Espinosa went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 11-5 loss to the Twins.

Espinosa's early struggles led to a three-day absence from the lineup last week, but he has returned to his regular role as the Angels' starting second baseman over the last four games, collecting a hit in all four starts. The 30-year-old is still batting a paltry .154 on the year, so his value will be limited to a cheap power source in deep leagues even with a regular role.

Forsythe is out of the lineup Saturday against the Brewers, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

It has been a struggle for Forsythe since coming off the DL, as he is hitting .129/.289/.258 with one home run and a 28.9 percent strikeout rate in those 10 games. Chase Utley will start at second base with Chris Taylor getting the nod at the hot corner.

Motter went 1-for-3 with a grand slam, a walk and two runs in Friday's 12-4 win over the Rays.

Motter launched a 351-foot laser off Jake Odorizzi in the first, staking Seattle to an early 5-0 lead. The 27-year-old has hit safely in three straight games but has slumped badly since a fast start, as he's slashed just .197/.287/.282 over his 80 plate appearances since May 2. Motter's positional versatility has helped him continue to see playing time despite his struggles, and he should be in store for regular playing time for the foreseeable future with Jean Segura (ankle) possibly out until the end of June.

Solarte went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer in Friday's 8-5 win over the Rockies.

It was his fourth home run of the season and Solarte's first in exactly a month. The 29-year-old's on pace to fall short of last season's power output, but he's still been productive recently, posting a .405/.500/.541 slash line over his last 10 games.

Semien (wrist) is throwing over the top from 75 feet and hitting every other day, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Semien is making incremental steps towards a full recovery after undergoing wrist surgery in April and is eligible to come off the disabled list in mid-June. It would seem he still has a ways to go before returning to the big leagues, however, since the A's would like to see more everyday activity before initiating a minor-league rehab assignment. Adam Rosales and Chad Pinder will continue seeing time at shortstop until Semien makes his long-awaited return.

Arroyo is out of Friday's lineup against the Nationals, Alec Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

This will be the fourth time in the last six games that Arroyo has been held out of the lineup, so it looks like he has lost his starting job at third base. Eduardo Nunez is starting at the hot corner while recent call-ups Orlando Calixte and Austin Slater man the outfield corners. Considering Arroyo had not been producing and now appears to have seen his playing time slashed, he can be cut loose in the majority of mixed leagues.

Frazier will bat leadoff and play in left field Friday against the Mets, Adam Berry of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

He's hit just two singles in his last 22 at-bats, including an 0-for-7 in Wednesday's 14-innings tilt. Frazier went hitless in four at-bats against Friday starter Matt Harvey on Sunday, though he did see a respectable 14 pitches. Frazier is hitting 50 points higher on the road (.340) than at PNC Park (.290), so perhaps he'll break out of his recent funk.

Merrifield is reaping the benefits of a strict diet that helped him put on 25 pounds of muscle and added bulk to his frame, SB Nation reports.

Merrifield went on an insane diet -- one that required multiple workouts and seven meals per day -- prior to the 2016 season. It's reasonable to assume the massive body transformation caused Merrifield to go through an adjustment period last year; however, it all seems to be coming together for the 28-year-old in 2017. He's hitting the ball harder than ever -- in fact, Merrifield's hard-hit contact rate is greater than Royals' sluggers Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. The second baseman's .484 slugging percentage and .190 ISO are far beyond his career numbers at any level.

Franklin started Thursday for the first time since May 15 and went 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

Franklin has remained in a reserve role even with Ryan Braun (calf) on the disabled list, but he came through Thursday when his name was called. That could earn him an extra opportunity or two in the near future, but expect him to remain in a super-utility role moving forward.