MLB Player News

Altuve went 3-for-6 with a run-scoring single, two-run double and two-run homer - a 448-foot blast - in Friday's 15-8 victory over the Orioles.

The MVP candidate punished Orioles pitching throughout the game. Altuve is slashing .411/.442/.644 over 73 at-bats in August and has his average up to a whopping .365 on the season.

Marte hit a run-scoring double in a 7-6 win against the Brewers on Friday.

It was the first sign of life Marte has shown since coming off the DL on Aug. 9. In eight games since, he has three hits and three walks in 33 plate appearances. Marte played well early in the year, hitting .276 with 12 extra-base hits and five steals in his first 40 games through May 21, but he then went to the DL for the first time and struggled when he returned before hitting the DL a second time in mid-July. The Mariners sought an upgrade at shorstop at the trade deadline and could still make a move at the position if Marte doesn't turn it around.

Herrera (general soreness) has been used as a pinch hitter in three of the last four games for Triple-A Louisville.

It seems that he is healthy enough to hit, but not take the field, suggesting that the "general soreness" he is dealing with is lower-body soreness. Considering he has not been placed on the minor league DL and has been used regularly as a pinch hitter, he should return to the field in the near future. Herrera is a prime candidate to receive a September call-up, as he is generally seen as big league ready and he is on the 40-man roster. However, with Brandon Phillips still in the picture, playing time may be hard to come by for Herrera in September.

Franklin was placed on the 7-day concussion DL after Friday's game, the Tampa Bay Times' Roger Mooney reports.

He was pulled from Wednesday's game after a freak incident when he was hit by a teammate's bat during a swing in the on-deck circle and surprisingly received a pinch-hit opportunity Friday. Franklin can now be ruled out until at least next weekend, and Mikie Mahtook and Corey Dickerson figure to split time in left field in the short term.

Franklin (head) is out of the lineup Friday against the Rangers, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He was the victim of some terrible luck Wednesday, with a teammate's bat hitting Franklin in the head in the on-deck circle. Fortunately, Franklin passed his initial rounds of concussion testing and has been diagnosed with a head contusion, although concussion symptoms don't always surface right away and the team will probably want to be completely sure of Franklin's health before returning him to action.

Forsythe (back) remains out of the lineup Friday against the Rangers, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

While Forsythe was able to field groundballs on the turf during pregame drills he did not gain clearance to start Friday. It will mark his third consecutive absence, but there has been nothing to suggest Forsythe is in any immediate danger of landing on the DL. Tim Beckham will man second base Friday as Mikie Mahtook leads off.

Polanco started at shortstop and hit second in the batting order, going 1-for-4, in Thursday's loss to Kansas City. He's hitting .348 (23-for-66) in August.

Polanco has started the last three games at shortstop and has been in the starting lineup the last 13 games. It looks like he's taking over the everyday shortstop job as the Twins evaluate him for 2017.

Solarte went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs in a 9-8 win against the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

This was a rare offensive outburst for a Padres team that hasn't put a lot of them together, but what offense they have mustered this season has typically run through Solarte and Wil Myers (as well as Matt Kemp, who was traded to Atlanta at the deadline). Solarte continues to enjoy the best batting average of his three-year career (.290) and remains just one shy of last season's 14 homers.

Marte is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Angels.

Shawn O'Malley will get the start at shortstop for Thursday's series finale against the Angels, bumping Marte from the order. Marte has started turning things around at the dish over the last two weeks, slashing .385/.467/.731 in his last 26 at-bats.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with a steal and two runs in Wednesday's win over Oakland.

He'd been scuffling over the last few games, going just 1-for-13, but as he has all year, Andrus was able to pull out of his tailspin rapidly and avoid a lengthy slump. That's why he's hitting .293, which would be a career high if the season ended today. He doesn't have the high-end speed that he once did and has never been one to pile up RBI and runs, but Andrus has still rounded out his fantasy line with 16 steals and remains a solid shortstop option for those not lucky enough to own the luminaries at the position.