MLB Player News

Espinosa agreed to a minor-league with the Phillies on Friday.

Espinosa will join Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The veteran has been mostly a second baseman in his career, but he has a shot to earn some big-league playing time at third base or shortstop, as the Phillies' haven't gotten much production out of either spot this season. Espinosa isn't a good bet to produce much himself, though, having been last seen posting a .173/.245/.278 line in 93 games for three teams last season. He hasn't posted an above-average batting line since 2011 and has recorded a wRC+ above 80 just once since 2012.

Marte went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and three runs scored in a 9-3 win over Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Marte set a career high last year with five home runs, and he now has five this June alone and six on the season. He's racked up 17 RBI and a .339 (17-for-62) average this month while striking out just nine times and walking six times. Even with the strong run, he's still slashing just .246/.302/.418 this season.

Tomlinson was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Tomlinson's brief stay with the Giants coincided with Brandon Crawford's time on the paternity list. He appeared in just two games with the big club before being sent back to the minors, going 0-for-5 with a pair of walks and a run scored. Tomlinson will continue to serve as organizational infield depth.

Altuve hit two solo home runs in a 3-for-4 game Wednesday against the Rays.

Apparently Altuve's first day off of the season Tuesday did him some good. The only aspect of Altuve's game that has dropped off from the past two seasons thus far in 2018 has been his power, and he's already hard at work to fix that. That said, with just seven home runs in 2018, it's unlikely he'll match his total of 24 from both 2016 and 2017.

Arroyo (oblique) completed range-of-motion and core stabilization exercises at Tropicana Field on Wednesday, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.

Arroyo hit the disabled list Saturday with a left oblique strain, and this appears to be the first official report of him resuming any type of physical activity. The 23-year-old was slashing a solid .264/.339/.396 across 59 plate appearances prior to his injury, and it's unknown if his DL stay will extend beyond the minimum 10 days.

Semien went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a walk, one RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Padres.

With the game already comfortably in hand and the Athletics leading by 10 in the ninth inning, Semien came through with a run-scoring double to collect his 29th RBI on the year. The 27-year-old is hitting just .221 in June, but he seems to be turning a corner of late. He's now riding a five-game hitting streak, clubbing a pair of home runs and three triples in that span.

Barreto went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Padres.

It was a home run barrage for the Oakland offense, as Barreto's three-run blast in the second inning was the first of five long balls on the day. With Matt Chapman (hand) on the disabled list and Jed Lowrie sliding over to third in his stead, Barreto has started three of the last four games at second base. The 22-year-old figures to get the opportunity to continue seeing regular at-bats in the near term, though he's slashing just .158/.200/.316 even after Wednesday's multi-hit showing.

Joseph was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday.

Joseph will head back to the minors to free up a roster spot for Wednesday's starter, Andrew Cashner, who was activated from the disabled list. The Orioles are set to play their next five games in National League ballparks and thus feel comfortable moving forward with a five-man bench, leaving Joseph as the odd man out. In four appearances for the Orioles, Joseph went 1-for-9 with a walk and RBI.

Rosario is out of Wednesday's lineup against the Rockies, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

He is hitting .204/.232/.315 with one home run and one steal in 54 June at-bats. Jose Reyes is starting at shortstop, hitting eighth.

Frazier was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Frazier's time with the Pirates could be short this time around, as he's up to replace Corey Dickerson, who will be out only a few days on family leave. Earlier this season in 56 games with the Pirates, Frazier hit .237/.318/.356.