MLB Player News

Polanco will start at shortstop and bat ninth Sunday against the Rangers, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Though Polanco will pick up his third consecutive start, those still holding him in AL-only and deeper mixed leagues shouldn't get excited about a potential return to full-time duty in the middle infield. Polanco's starts Saturday and Sunday have come with Miguel Sano (hand) out of the lineup, but the Twins' young slugger isn't expected to require a disabled list stint. Assuming that's the case, Sano should take back his regular role at third base in the coming days, which would result in Eduardo Escobar moving over to shortstop while Polanco slides back to the bench.

Barreto is 14-for-26 with two home runs over his last six games with Triple-A Nashville.

Per Sounds play-by-play announcer Jeff Hem, the 21-year-old has hit both of his homers in the first inning of back-to-back games. Barreto returned to Nashville on July 8 after slashing .190/.261/.381 over 46 plate appearances across 11 games with the Athletics. He's enjoyed much more success against Triple-A pitching this season, slashing .284/.333/.448 with 15 doubles, five triples, 12 homers and 39 RBI over 89 games.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with three doubles and a run scored in Friday's 8-4 loss to the Twins.

After a fourth consecutive hitless performance July 20 dropped Andrus' season average to .282, the shortstop atoned for his post-All-Star-break slumber by going on an absolute tear. He's batting .371 over his subsequent 14 starts and has rattled off three multi-hit performances in a row. Just as importantly, Andrus is continuing to pack plenty of power into those hits. His 15 home runs on the season have nearly doubled up his previous career best, and his 29 doubles put him only six shy of matching his career-best mark from 2014.

Altuve is expected to be out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Blue Jays, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

It sounds like the Astros are planning to give their star second baseman the day off as the team opens up a weekend series against the Blue Jays. Altuve continued to dazzle at the plate Thursday, picking up three hits and a home run in his four at-bats against the Rays.

Haggerty stole his league-leading 36th base in Wednesday's game with High-A Lynchburg, The News-Herald reports.

Not only does the second baseman lead the Carolina League in steals, Haggerty's league-leading 12 triples give him the most extra-base hits (38) among the group, too. Furthermore, the 23-year-old leads all Indians minor leaguers in doubles (24), runs (55) and ranks third in walks (50). Haggerty's .805 OPS and excellent speed should land him on dynasty radars in 2018.

Giavotella cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.

Giavotella was designated for assignment Tuesday and didn't garner the interest of any other MLB teams and will remain within the Orioles' organization. He'll likely slide into a starting role with Norfolk for the remainder of the season.

Andrus went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and two RBI in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Mariners.

The home run was Andrus' 15th of the season, making him the first Rangers shortstop to reach that benchmark since seven-time All-Star Michael Young achieved the feat in 2005. Andrus' surprising power breakout -- he had previously never hit more than eight home runs in any of his other eight big-league seasons -- has made him quite the bargain for fantasy owners who were able to snag him in the middle or later rounds in drafts or on the cheap in auctions back in the spring.

Chavis currently has an 11-game hitting streak at Double-A Portland, going 17-for-43 with three home runs, five doubles, nine RBI and 11 runs scored over that stretch.

The Red Sox have been uber-patient with Chavis, who turns 22 next week. The first-round draft pick (2014) has battled injuries but is putting together a breakout season that should put him back on the prospect radar. Between two stops, Chavis is hitting .308 with 26 home runs and 78 RBI over 96 games. With Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski gutting the system the last two seasons, one could look askance at the ranking of prospects in the organization, but Chavis has earned his spot near the top of RotoWire's rankings.

Altuve was named the American League Player of the Month for July, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

If you don't own Altuve in a fantasy league, you might not be aware that the perennial MVP candidate hit .485 in 99 July at-bats, setting a franchise record for batting average in a calendar month. The All-Star second baseman led the AL in on-base percentage (.523) and slugging (.727).

Elmore, who came over to Toronto in the offseason, is finally beginning to find a groove at Triple-A Buffalo, Matt Schneidman of The Buffalo News reports.

Elmore, who's played in 197 MLB games, has spent the large majority of his 10-plus professional seasons in the minors. An infielder drafted by Arizona in 2008, the 30-year-old has had success at the lower levels, but Elmore's game never translated to the big leagues. He entered spring training as a legitimate contender for an Opening Day utility gig, but at this point, Elmore stands little chance of donning a Jays uniform this season.