MLB Player News

Semien went 3-for-4 with an RBI single, a walk and a run in Thursday's 8-4 extra-inning loss to the Blue Jays.

The surging shortstop logged the only three-hit effort on the night for the Athletics, his third multi-hit game in the last seven contests. Semien also has six of his 11 RBI on the season during that stretch and has boosted his average 85 points to .230 since July 18.

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.

Espinosa went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Red Sox.

Espinosa drew the proverbial short straw for his first start in a Seattle uniform with Chris Sale on the mound, but the slugger has been struggling throughout the season. The 30-year-old is now hitting just .067 in July and has struck out seven times in 15 at-bats during the month. However, Espinosa isn't slated to see much playing time in Seattle, with his opportunities likely to be almost exclusively limited to when Robinson Cano gets a day off.

Semien went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays.

Semien erased an early 2-0 deficit with his 362-foot shot to left in the fifth, the third time he's gone deep in his injury-shortened 2017. The 26-year-old has hit safely in six of his last seven games, compiling a .370 average, two home runs and five RBI over that span.

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.

Marte doubled, homered and walked in a 2-for-4 effort against the Braves on Wednesday, driving in two runs and scoring two.

He came into this game hitting a brutal .196/.255/.370 with only a single multi-hit effort, which came more than three weeks ago, so this was a badly needed breakout performance for the 23-year-old infielder. However, we'll need to see more before he can be recommended even in NL-only formats, as Marte is stuck in a utility role.

Franklin is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Indians.

With Franklin sitting for the second straight game against a right-handed starting pitching, it seems rather apparent that he's been supplanted by Kaleb Cowart as the top option at the keystone. Cowart, who has slashed .311/.383/.482 this season at Triple-A Salt Lake, rewarded the Angels with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate Tuesday, so he should continue to play regularly against both both right- and left-handed starters until his production craters.