MLB Player News

Altuve went 3-for-5 with a walk, a double, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Tuesday's 16-4 rout of the Braves.

The homer was his 12th of the year, and just past the midpoint of the season Altuve is almost exactly on pace to duplicate his 2016 performance. The 27-year-old should remain a rock-solid fantasy asset in the second half.

Polanco is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Angels, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Polanco has mustered only three hits over his last five games, so he'll get a day off the bench to unwind. Ehire Adrianza (abdomen), who was activated from the 10-day disabled list following Monday's game, will fill in for Polanco at shortstop.

Espinosa is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Twins, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Espinosa has produced only two hits in his last 24 at-bats, dropping his season average to .166. The veteran looks to be hanging on to the starting job at second base by a thread and may have already settled into a timeshare at the position. He'll be on the bench for the second time in four games while Nick Franklin receives the start at the keystone.

Renda was traded to the Diamondbacks on Monday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old was batting .260 with one home run in 198 plate appearances at Triple-A Louisville and wasn't viewed as a long-term asset by the Reds, so he was jettisoned to a new organization in order to free up a roster spot for Louisville. His defensive versatility and plate discipline are fine attributes, but those skills won't give him much appeal in the fantasy realm.

Marte went 2-for-4 with a walkoff RBI single in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Rockies.

Marte was making his second start with the Diamondbacks since his June 28 promotion and carried his weight in the eight hole, finishing as one of only two players on the team with multiple hits. Though he held down an impressive .338/.391/.514 slash line at Triple-A Reno prior to being called up, Marte is unlikely to see consistent at-bats unless one of the Diamondbacks' regular middle infielders (Chris Owings and Brandon Drury) succumbs to an injury.

Drury went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Rockies.

Drury's one-out single in the bottom of the ninth helped ignite a Diamondbacks attack that had been dormant for most of the afternoon, as Chris Iannetta followed up with a double before Ketel Marte drove Drury home for the game-winning run. After he doubled earlier in the contest, Drury cashed in on his first multi-hit effort since June 21, ending a 3-for-28 drought at the plate.

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, three stolen bases and a run scored during Sunday's win over Minnesota.

The second baseman is turning in a strong fantasy campaign with a .286/.323/.452 slash line, six home runs, 31 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 28 runs. Merrifield is tilting the scales across all categories, and Kansas City is 16-9 since he moved into the leadoff spot in early June.

Padres manager Andy Green said Sunday that he's hopeful Solarte (oblique) will be able to return from the disabled list for the team's first game out of the All-Star break, Bill Center of MLB.com reports.

Solarte has been sidelined since June 20 with the left oblique strain, and though he has yet to return to full baseball activities, he's said to be making progress in his recovery. It's expected that Solarte will increase the intensity of his workouts this week before potentially heading out on a rehab assignment at a minor-league affiliate. Once he returns from the DL, Solarte would likely take back regular duties at the keystone from Carlos Asuaje.

Rodgers was removed from the first game of a doubleheader Saturday with Double-A Hartford after he was hit in the head by a pitch during a fifth-inning at-bat, Michael Avallone of MiLB.com reports.

Rodgers was on the ground for an extended period after being hit but was able to walk off the field under his own power about two minutes later. The prized prospect was held out of the lineup in the nightcap, but it's unknown if he sustained any concussion-like symptoms as a result of the impact that would potentially shelve him for multiple games. Rodgers is batting .226 with no extra-base hits in nine games since being promoted from High-A Lancaster in June.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said that he's hopeful Semien (wrist) will be ready to come off the 60-day disabled list during the club's four-game series with the Mariners that begins Thursday, Joe Stiglich of NBC Sports California reports.

Semien has been sidelined since mid-April with the fractured right wrist, but after making his sixth rehab appearance Saturday, he looks to be rapidly approaching full health. During those contests, Semien has turned in three multi-hit efforts, an indication the wrist hasn't provided many complications with his swing mechanics. He played a nine-inning game with Triple-A Nashville on Saturday and may only need one or two more full games before the Athletics feel comfortable signing off on his return. Once he's activated, Semien would likely take over as the primary option at shortstop, displacing top prospect Franklin Barreto.