MLB Player News

Andrus went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a pair of stolen bases in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Athletics.

Andrus' surprising power surge has been the main reason behind his early-season success, but the 28-year-old is still capable of wreaking havoc on the basepaths, too. With four stolen bases in five attempts through the Rangers' first 14 games, Andrus is well on his way to a ninth straight season of 20-plus steals.

Merrifield got the start in right field Tuesday and hit eighth, going 2-for-3 with two walks and a solo home run in a 2-1 extra-inning loss to the Giants.

With Jorge Soler (oblique) still on the mend, Merrifield could find a regular home in right field in the short term. Raul Mondesi is slashing just .114/1.62/.200 through 13 games, though, so second base could be where Merrifield sees most of his playing time before the season is over.

Semien (wrist) underwent successful surgery Tuesday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Semien's surgery involved getting six screws inserted into his scaphoid bone to repair his fracture. As was previously reported, the 26-year-old will be reevaluated in six weeks. Until then, Adam Rosales and Chad Pinder will handle the shortstop duties.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced Tuesday that the belief is that Torres is dealing with bicep tendinitis, Erik Boland of Newsday Sports reports.

Torres was scratched from the Double-A Trenton lineup Tuesday and will likely undergo an MRI in the coming days. A more precise diagnosis should become available shortly. He'll remain day-to-day.

Torres was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with Double-A Trenton due to right shoulder soreness, Matt Kardos of MLB.com reports.

This is the first news of Torres dealing with shoulder soreness, so it's likely that the team is just being cautious with their prized prospect by sitting him out Tuesday. He'll be considered day-to-day for the time being.

Merrifield was recalled by the Royals on Tuesday, Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star reports.

Merrifield was recalled as a corresponding roster move after the club optioned Jake Junis to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday. The Royals will waste no time getting Merrifield at-bats, as it was also reported that he'll get the start Tuesday, though the Royals haven't confirmed that yet. The 28-year-old was off to a hot start at Triple-A, going 14-for-34 (.412) with three homers and nine RBI, and could gradually take at-bats from Raul Mondesi if he's able to carry that production to the big leagues.

Motter went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-1 win over Miami.

Motter, who is filling in for the injured Jean Segura (hamstring) at shortstop, has now homered three times since April 12. He's hitting a respectable .321 with six RBI, but he's also struck out nine times in his 31 plate appearances. The 27-year-old has already surpassed his homer total with the Rays in 2016, but his days of fantasy relevance in AL-only leagues will disappear once Segura is back from the DL -- likely later this week.

Altuve went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Monday's 3-0 win over the Angels.

After a bit of a slow start, Altuve now has a five-game hitting streak and has upped his average to .320 on the year with seven runs scored, four RBI and five steals. Last season may have been the pint-sized superstar's career year, but he still offers five-category production in a potent offense. Expect the home runs to follow shortly for Altuve.

Barreto won't be called up despite the fact that Marcus Semien (wrist) is out until June, Joe Stiglich of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Athletics GM David Forst cited Barreto's lack of at-bats at Triple-A, but it's fairly easy to figure out what's going on here. It's not that the Athletics think that Barreto, who's hitting a cool .310/.375/.524 for Triple-A Nashville, wouldn't be an upgrade over career backup Adam Rosales. It's that they don't want Barreto to pick up MLB service time that could potentially allow him to become a free agent one year earlier. As such, don't expect Barreto to get called up before early June no matter how badly he destroys minor-league pitching.

Semien will have surgery on his right wrist after a CT scan revealed a fracture of the scaphoid bone, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Although the shortstop was initially diagnosed with a bone contusion, further tests revealed troubling news for Semien and the A's. There is currently no timetable for his recovery, though he won't even be reevaluated for another six weeks after the procedure, so it could be a while until he's back with the A's. Adam Rosales has been filling in at shortstop during his absence and could see the majority of the reps in Semien's place, though Chad Pinder has been recalled and could get a look as well.