MLB Player News

Merrifield went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and two runs scored during Thursday's win over Detroit.

The second baseman offers a nice cross-category profile with eight homers, 35 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 37 runs and a .290/.330/.468 slash line. Individually, there aren't any high-end marks, but tilting the scales across multiple stat columns has Merrifield moving the fantasy needle in the the majority of settings.

Forsythe is not in the lineup Thursday against the Braves, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Forsythe has just four hits over the past week with only one of those going for extra bases. He'll cede Thursday's start, allowing Chase Utley to fill in for him at the keystone.

Marte went 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's win over the Reds.

The long ball, a two-run shot off Ariel Hernandez in the ninth, was Marte's second in 16 games since his recall. Thursday's start was just Marte's second since the All-Star break, and with sporadic playing time, Marte's appeal is limited mostly to daily and NL-only formats.

Espinosa was released by the Angels on Thursday.

The Angels ended the Espinosa experiment last weekend, designating him for assignment, and the 30-year-old is now free to explore other opportunities. Espinosa was a net positive at second base, but his struggles at the plate during his time with Anaheim (.162/.237/.276) far overshadowed his contributions in the field. Look for him to latch on with another club on a minor-league deal.

Solarte (oblique) could be cleared Thursday to take batting practice from both sides of the plate, Dennis Lin of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The oblique issue that has sidelined Solarte for the past month apparently isn't as problematic when he swings the bat, but the injury continues to hamper him in the field. Until Solarte is able to perform full baseball activities for a few days in a row, a rehab assignment shouldn't be considered forthcoming. Solarte's extended absence has allowed rookie Carlos Asuaje to see regular starts at second base.

Drury is not in the Diamondbacks' lineup Thursday, Jody Jackson of Fox Sports Arizona reports.

Drury rarely plays a full week's worth of games, despite his versatility in the field, as the Diamondbacks continue to mix and match second base and shortstop between Drury, Chris Owings and Ketel Marte. The latter two are starting up the middle Thursday, in fact. Drury's deep-league fantasy owners must continue monitoring his lineup status.

Hernandez went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's 9-1 win over the White Sox.

Both shots came off Carlos Rodon, as Hernandez continues to be a lefty killer this season. Nine of his 10 homers on the year have come against southpaws despite the fact that he's seen fewer plate appearances against them, and his 1.033 OPS versus lefties is close to double his .587 figure against righties.

Franklin will get the day off for Wednesday's series finale against the Nationals, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Franklin receives a breather after starting six of the past seven games, going 1-for-13 at the plate during that span. In his place, Cliff Pennington will man the keystone while batting eighth in the order.

Andrus went 0-for-4 at the dish in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Orioles.

After delivering a two-hit performance in his return from the paternity list prior to the All-Star break, Andrus hasn't been able to get much going at the plate over his last five contests, along with most other hitters in the Rangers lineup. He's recorded just two hits in his last 21 at-bats, resulting in a 13-point drop in his season batting average. Andrus has only struck out three times during that span, however, suggesting that he's at least seeing the ball well and could rebound once he enjoys some better luck on balls in play.

Polanco is out of the lineup Monday against the Yankees, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Polanco is batting just .165 since the beginning of June and could be on the outs for an everyday role at shortstop. He'll cede duties at the position to Ehire Adrianza for the second straight contest, though Eduardo Escobar could also factor into the playing-time picture if Polanco settles into a reserve role on a more permanent basis.