MLB Player News

Frazier went 3-for-5 with a double against the Cardinals on Friday.

He snapped an 0-for-25 skid with his performance Friday. Frazier will likely lose playing time when Starling Marte (suspension) returns Tuesday, as the utility man becomes more of a matchup option off the bench than an everyday starter. Frazier began the season batting .370/.458/.500 in 107 plate appearances, so there's reason to believe he'll turn things around. That said, he'll probably have to wait for another injury, trade or suspension before he finds consistent playing time.

Tomlinson has a .267/.325/.307 slash line with four stolen bases in 75 at-bats this season.

The 27-year-old excelled in a similar role the past two seasons, but has had a tougher time in 2017, especially against lefties (.233/.333/.233). Tomlinson provides positional versatility and has spent time at second and third base, shortstop and left field this season, but starts far too infrequently to be a reliable option in standard formats.

Merrifield hit .281 with a .768 OPS, seven home runs and 14 stolen bases through 70 first-half games.

Merrifield was passed over for an Opening Day roster spot, but it was only a couple of weeks before he locked down the big-league gig for good. The sophomore has cut his strikeout rate by nearly eight percent from last year while positing an impressive .168 ISO. His 14 swipes are second in the AL only to Jose Altuve, but Merrifield's 93.3 percent success rate on the basepaths is best among all MLB players with at least five steals.

Rosario could be called up on Aug. 1, after the Mets have presumably traded their walk-year veterans at the trade deadline, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports.

This is speculation on Davidoff's part, but it makes sense. Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jose Reyes and Lucas Duda are all set to become free agents after the season, so the Mets could wind up opening up a handful of 25-man roster spots in the span of a couple days at the end of July. Rosario, 21, is hitting .327/.365/.474 with seven home runs and 16 steals in 375 plate appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas. He is striking out just 15.5 percent of the time, so making contact should not be a major issue for him. Rosario has the potential to offer a solid batting average and a handful of steals in his first two months against big-league pitching.

Drury is out of Sunday's lineup against the Reds.

He will start the final game of the first half on the bench, with Ketel Marte starting at shortstop and Chris Owings sliding over to second base. With Marte's recent promotion, Drury seems to be in line for slightly less playing time in the second half.

Espinosa is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

For the fourth time in the past five games, Espinosa will find himself positioned on the bench. The veteran infielder is currently sporting a brutal .162 average on the season and will be replaced by Nick Franklin at the keystone.

Solarte (oblique) will likely embark on a rehab assignment shortly after the All-Star break, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

He has begun taking swings from the left side of the plate, and will not be ready to come off the DL for the start of the second half, contrary to a previous report. Assuming he does go on a rehab assignment next weekend, he could be back before the end of July.

Herrera is hitting .261/.310/.393 with seven home runs and 60 strikeouts in 64 games for Triple-A Louisville.

He was placed on the DL with a concussion for the final week of June, but returned July 1 and is 10-for-28 with one home run since being activated. With Scooter Gennett's emergence as a quality option, Herrera's ascension to the Reds' big-league roster does not appear imminent.

Frazier is not in the lineup Sunday for the first-half finale against the Cubs.

Frazier hasn't gotten a hit in the past six games, so between that and the fact that southpaw Jon Lester is getting the ball for Chicago, he'll get another day off Sunday. Between his sub-par defense and Starling Marte's impending return from a suspension, Frazier's playing time may dwindle during the second half of the season. For Sunday's bout, Josh Harrison will move into left field to replace him while Max Moroff logs a start at the keystone to round out the lineup.

Andrus (personal) recorded a base hit and a double and scored a run in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Angels.

Back from the paternity list following a two-game absence, Andrus didn't miss a beat in his return to action. He's now recorded at least one hit in 16 of his last 17 contests, maintaining a .361 average during that stretch.