MLB Player News

Marte is expected to be placed on the bereavement list following the death of his mother, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

This is tragic news, and Marte is headed back to the Dominican Republic to be with his family during this difficult time. Emilio Bonifacio was added on a minor-league deal and could temporarily fill in at shortstop with Marte out, though the Diamondbacks could ultimately look to add another infielder via trade, given that Chris Owings is also out with a fractured finger.

Solarte (oblique) was activated from the 10-day disabled list and is starting at third base and batting fourth during Sunday's game against the Pirates, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Solarte had been sidelined since June 21 with an oblique strain but is ready to make his long-awaited return to the Padres' lineup. He'll slot into the cleanup spot and look to build upon his .268 average and 10 home runs as we head into the final two months of the regular season.

Marte went 1-for-3 with a home run, two walks and two RBI in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Cardinals.

While Marte has been a below-average offensive contributor over his 68 plate appearances with the big club this season, he's started to come around since the All-Star break, providing a .265/.375/.588 line. The slugging percentage is particularly impressive for Marte, whose four home runs on the campaign are more than what he had supplied (three) with the Mariners over 713 plate appearances the last two seasons combined. The enhanced power coupled with strong defense at shortstop has allowed Marte to vault ahead of Brandon Drury on the depth chart in the middle infield.

Solarte (oblique) is expected to return from the disabled list Sunday.

The switch-hitting infielder began a rehab assignment earlier in the week and it appears it has gone well enough to where Solarte may be back in a Padres uniform by Sunday. The Padres hinted at Solarte seeing some reps at shortstop during his rehab stint, which adds to his already strong infield versatility. The official move to activate Solarte will likely come in the hours before first pitch of Sunday's series finale against the Pirates.

Drury is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Drury has found himself sitting regularly since Ketel Marte's promotion from Triple-A -- Saturday marks his seventh absence already since the All-Star break. The 24-year-old has been a net positive in the field, but he's disappointed at the dish with a .278/.328/.441 slash line 338 plate appearances this season.

Albies went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored for Triple-A Gwinnett in Thursday's extra-inning win over Lehigh Valley.

He's turned his season around in July, slashing .303/.336/.475 in 23 games, although he only has two steals in two attempts over that stretch. Dansby Swanson's demotion would seem to open up a spot in the Atlanta infield for Albies, but the club will keep the 20-year-old at Triple-A for now while the coaching staff takes a look at Johan Camargo. Albies and Swanson still project to be the club's double-play duo of the future, and that future could arrive as soon as this season depending on what moves the front office makes at the trade deadline.

Marte went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Cardinals.

Marte was making his fourth start in the last six games while Brandon Drury was on the bench for the fourth time during that span, suggesting that there may be a changing of the guard in the Diamondbacks infield. Drury has the superior offensive track record of the two players at the big-league level, but he's been in a tailspin at the dish since the beginning of June and doesn't offer as much defensive value as Marte, who has been playing shortstop lately. That has allowed Chris Owings to move over to the keystone, where he's less of a liability. With a .263/.307/.356 career line in the majors, Marte is unlikely to develop into a high-end fantasy asset while he's seeing regular at-bats, but he's shown some burgeoning pop this season and offers an impact as a base stealer. Those attributes, along with the shallow pool of talent at shortstop relative to other positions, might be enough for Marte to carry some value in NL-only or deeper mixed leagues.

Solarte (oblique) may play some innings at shortstop while on his rehab assignment, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The Padres announced that Solarte will start a rehab stint with Triple-A El Paso on Thursday, and although he's playing second base in his first game with the Chihuahuas, there is speculation that he'll move over to shortstop for a few games afterward. It's unclear if he'll get much time at shortstop when he returns to the big leagues, although it would allow the Padres to keep young second baseman Carlos Asuaje in the lineup more frequently. More information should come forth once Solarte is back in the majors, though.

Drury takes a seat for Thursday's series opener against the Cardinals.

This marks the fifth time in the last eight games that Drury will retreat to the bench. He's had a good year to date, hitting .277/.328/.442 with eight home runs and 43 RBI, but has stagnated as of late while others such as Daniel Descalso and Ketel Marte are getting into grooves offensively. For Thursday's game, Chris Owings slides over to man the keystone while Marte draws the start at short.

Solarte (oblique) was able to hit right-handed Wednesday and is approaching a rehab assignment, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Solarte has been out with the oblique issue since June 21, as it has obstructed his ability to both swing from the right side and play the field. He was able to connect with some real power in batting practice according to observers, a good sign that he's getting healthy and could make a return sometime in early August.