MLB Player News

Semien went 1-for-5 with a solo home run -- his first of the season -- in a win over the Mariners on Saturday.

His moonshot off Andrew Moore offered a promising sign, considering a wrist injury has limited him to 60 plate appearances so far. It'll probably take Semien time to regenerate a good portion of the power that helped him hit 27 home runs in 2016. Of course, that probably will come as he again struggles with batting average. At least he should steal some bases to help his fantasy owners along the way.

Andrus was activated from the paternity list and will bat second Saturday against the Angels, TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

He'll draw back in after missing the last two games to be with his wife for the birth of their son. The Rangers optioned Jurickson Profar back to Triple-A Round Rock to clear a roster spot for Andrus. The 28-year-old Andrus is set to cap off what has been a stellar first half of the season, during which he's already set a career high for home runs with 11.

Forsythe is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Forsythe will receive a standard day off after four straight starts, including a 1-for-3 game with one RBI and two walks during Friday's victory. In his place, Chase Utley is leading off and manning second base against right-hander Ian Kennedy.

Barreto was optioned to Triple-A Nasville on Saturday.

The need for Barreto has become minimal since Marcus Semien returned from the disabled list earlier this week, so the team will send him down to get more regular playing time. Recognized as one of the top prospects in the Oakland system, the 21-year-old hit just .190 over 42 big league at-bats, but received some valuable experience and could certainly return for a late-season stint. He heads back to Triple-A for now, where he was slashing .281/.326/.428 with 32 RBI before being called up.

Semien went 1-for-3 with a two-run double in Friday's 7-2 loss to the Mariners.

Semien gave the Athletics a 2-1 lead with his second-inning two-bagger, giving him his first RBI since April 8. The hard-hitting shortstop has a pair of hits in his two games back from an extended stay on the disabled list with a wrist injury and appears to be swinging the bat without limitations. While he still has a considerable way to go to pull his .186/.364/.256 line to respectability, the fact he's hit safely in his first two contests is a step in the right direction.

Andrus (personal) is expected to be activated from the paternity list Saturday and start at shortstop later in the evening against the Angels, Sam Butler of MLB.com reports.

Andrus has been away with the team since Wednesday while awaiting the birth of his son, Elvis Jr. With Andrus having used the maximum three days to spend time with mother and child, he'll report back to the Rangers for the team's final two contests before the All-Star break. After finishing fourth in the American League balloting for the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote, it looks like Andrus, who owns a career-best .820 OPS this season, will be denied a third All-Star appearance unless he receives the call as an injury replacement.

Giavotella is starting at second base and hitting eighth Saturday against Minnesota.

Jonathan Schoop will move over to shortstop as manager Buck Showalter continues to experiment with his starting second baseman. Giavotella will be the beneficiary, receiving his first start as an Oriole after logging 228 games with the Angels over the last two seasons.

Polanco is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Orioles, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Polanco has been ice cold at the plate recently, hitting just .107/.167/.179 over his last seven games, so he heads to the bench for the second time in the last five contests. Ehire Adrianza will take over at shortstop and bat seventh against probable Baltimore starter Wade Miley.

Urias (back) returned to the lineup Friday for Double-A San Antonio. He is hitting .304/.401/.401 with two home runs, six steals (on 10 attempts) and a sterling 41:45 K:BB in 299 at-bats.

Urias is the youngest hitter in the Texas League, so the fact that he has more walks than strikeouts is quite impressive. It is unclear how much power will come in future years, but he clearly has one of the best hit tools in the minors and could be manning the keystone for San Diego at some point in 2018.

Altuve, as expected, is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Blue Jays.

Manager A.J. Hinch said Altuve would get a rest day Saturday, and that's exactly the case. Marwin Gonzalez will fill in at second base and bat fifth, pushing Josh Reddick into the No. 2 hole. Altuve has recorded three hits in four consecutive games, raising his season OPS to a blistering .950.