MLB Player News

Franklin (hamstring) remains out of the lineup Tuesday against the Yankees, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE reports.

He underwent an MRI on Monday, the results of which have not yet been made public. This will be the fourth game in a row that Franklin will miss with the hamstring strain. Mikie Mahtook will start in right field and bat sixth Tuesday.

Andrus homered and scored twice in a 3-for-4 game Monday against the Angels.

Andrus is on fire in September. Monday's home run marks his 10th extra-base hit in just 15 games, and he has now scored 11 runs to go with eight RBI and an excellent .340/.417/.622 batting line this month. Andrus has his OPS up to .784 after three consecutive years of posting an OPS below .700.

Espinosa powered the Nationals' offense Monday, going 1-for-2 with a three-run homer in a 4-3 loss to the Marlins.

The blast was Espinosa's 22nd of the year, but just his second in the last 15 games, a period over which he's hit an abysmal .146/.212/.292 while striking out 21 times in 48 at-bats. The 22 home runs mark a new career high for Espinosa, but his .384 slugging percentage is indicative of some luck in that homer tally and a potential reversion to the mean in 2017.

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, a steal, an RBI and two runs against the White Sox on Monday.

A cold stretch got Merrifield demoted in late July, but he's been doing plenty of hitting since getting recalled Sept. 2 -- the 27-year-old rookie has gone 20-for-57 (.351) with a couple steals, nine RBI and 10 runs this month. Merrifield's been an everyday lineup presence lately, making him a viable down-the-stretch play in deeper formats.

Franklin (hamstring) is scheduled for an MRI on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The utility man has been sidelined since straining his hamstring Thursday. The exam will likely give Franklin a realistic picture of whether he'll be able to return at some point before the conclusion of the regular season in less than two weeks. The 25-year-old has slashed a solid .280/.343/.465 for the Rays in 2016, while playing five different positions and also logging time at DH.

Drury went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, two walks, two RBI and three runs in Sunday's 10-9 victory over the Dodgers.

Drury capped his big day at the plate with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th, propelling Arizona to victory after his team blew a six-run lead earlier in the game. The 24-year-old rookie has caught fire in September, homering five times and batting .449 with 14 RBI in 13 games. Drury's recent hot streak has pushed his batting line up to .284/.334/.461, and he now has 15 homers to go along with 26 doubles in 412 at-bats.

Marte is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.

Marte has gone 0-for-6 over the last two games, so he'll get his first day off since Sept. 8. With Marte out of the lineup, Shawn O'Malley will head to shortstop and hit ninth against Doug Fister and the Astros.

Bostick was designated for assignment by the Nationals on Sunday, William Ladson of MLB.com reports.

The Nats needed to clear a spot on the 40-man roster after activating Joe Ross from the DL on Sunday. Bostick, who has never appeared in a major-league game, split 2016 between Double-A and Triple-A.

Forsythe is out of Sunday's lineup against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Coming off an 0-for-4 outing Saturday, Forsythe will sit out for the first time since September 5. In his place, Alexei Ramirez will start at second base and hit eighth.

Solarte (personal) informed the Padres he'd like to return before the end of the season but he'll be given the time he needs after it was learned his wife passed away Saturday due to complications related to cancer.

Solarte had left the team Friday to be with his wife. There's no real timetable for his return as Solarte deals with the situation and gets his three daughters settled.