MLB Player News

Fontana was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday.

Fontana will provide a little extra infield depth with both Andrelton Simmons and Kaleb Cowart on the disabled list due to ankle injuries. Through 21 games with Salt Lake this season, Fontana has hit .282 with a .929 OPS and 11 extra-base hits. Don't expect to see him receive any meaningful playing time unless a couple more Angels go down with injuries.

Semien went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in a win over the Royals on Thursday.

The struggling shortstop had been mired in an 0-for-14 slump over his last three games, and had started June with a 1-for-19 tally overall. However, he knocked in a key insurance run Thursday as part of his first multi-hit effort since May 27, and fantasy owners can only hope his solid production is a harbinger of a resurgence at the plate.

Altuve went 3-for-4 with an RBI, stolen base and two runs scored Thursday against the Rangers.

Thursday's effort marked Altuve's fifth multi-hit game in his past 10 starts, helping to him an impressive .338 batting average. He has also stolen five bases in the last 15 days, which has come after he stole just four bases on the season prior to this stretch. He now ranks ninth in the American League in stolen bases with nine.

Andrus (elbow) is not expected to return from the disabled list when first eligible Tuesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Andrus has been sidelined since April 12 with a fracture in his right elbow. The shortstop was able to throw to first base with no issues Tuesday and is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment early next week, leaving June 15 against the Rockies as his earliest plausible return date. Once Andrus is healthy, the Rangers will have to figure out what to do with Jurickson Profar, who has been filling in well at shortstop.

Forsythe is out of the lineup against the Pirates on Thursday, Andy McCullough of The Los Angeles Times reports.

Forsythe will get a breather after going 0-for-4 during Wednesday's game. In his place, Breyvic Valera will start at second base and bat seventh.

Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.

After going 2-for-4 in his big-league debut, Rodriguez proceeded to go hitless in his next 15 at-bats. He'll head back to the minors to free up a roster spot for Alex Wilson (foot), who is set to return from the disabled list Thursday. The 26-year-old was hitting .318/.341/.540 with eight homers and eight steals through 48 games with the Mud Hens prior to being promoted to the majors.

Merrifield is starting in center field and hitting leadoff Wednesday against the Angels, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

With regular leadoff man Jon Jay being traded to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, manager Ned Yost will turn to Merrifield to take over as the team's table setter. The 29-year-old is hitting a solid .286/.368/.419 with four homers and 14 stolen bases across 58 games this season.

Diaz went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and two runs for Double-A Jacksonville in its 2-1 win over Birmingham on Tuesday.

Diaz has recorded back-to-back three-hit outings, but he's still sitting at a middling .220 average for the season thanks to a miserable April and May. The infielder's sizzling start to June offers hope that he may be starting to find his footing in the Southern League, but the 22-year-old will probably need to trim down his 27.2 percent strikeout rate a bit more before enjoying sustainable success.

Marte is not in the lineup versus San Francisco on Wednesday.

Marte will head to the bench after starting the first two games of this series while Daniel Descalso gets the nod at second base. Over the past eight contests, Marte is hitting .370/.393/.926 with nine extra-base hits and eight RBI.

Andrus (elbow) was able to throw to first base from shortstop Tuesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

This marked the first time Andrus was able to throw to a base since breaking his elbow. He continues to make progress, and he's expected to begin a rehab assignment in the near future, barring any major setbacks.