MLB Player News

Frazier was a late addition to the starting lineup Thursday against the Brewers.

Jordy Mercer (forearm) was scratched from the lineup due to right forearm discomfort, leaving a vacancy on the Pirates infield. Frazier will get another chance to start, slotting in at second base while Sean Rodriguez moves over to shortstop to cover for Mercer's absence.

Frazier is out of the lineup Thursday against the Brewers.

Frazier garnered a good number of starts down the stretch with Starling Marte out, but now that the All-Star is back in the lineup, Frazier will get a day off. It's unclear how Marte's return will affect Frazier's playing time for the remainder of the season, but that should become clearer as the last week unfolds.

Frazier went 3-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs scored against Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Once again he played left field in place of the injured Starling Marte (back) and produced at the plate. He's only played 12 complete games in the 55 games he's appeared in, but is batting .390 (25-for-64) in those tilts. With Marte out, Frazier makes for a high average replacement option.

Forsythe went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

After tallying only a single in his previous nine at-bats, Forsythe bounced back with his seventh multi-hit effort of September. The veteran is closing out the season in fine fashion, with a .313/.403/.463 line in 67 at-bats this month.

Marte is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays, the Tacoma News Tribune's Bob Dutton reports.

Marte is 3-for-19 over his last six games and 0-for-9 over his last three games. Shawn O'Malley will start at shortstop and bat ninth Tuesday.

Franklin (hamstring) hopes to return for the final weekend of the season, Roger Mooney of the Tamp Bay Times reports.

He has a moderate hamstring strain that could keep him out for the remainder of the season, but he's hoping to get back out for the final series in Texas to end on a healthy note. Franklin hit .280/.343/.465 with six home runs and six steals in 174 plate appearances this year, marking easily his most productive season to date at the plate. However, he grades out as a below-average defender and started games at left field (17), first base (nine), second base (eight), right field (six), shortstop (four) and DH (two), so it's possible he may enter 2017 as nothing more than a part-time utility player.

Franklin (hamstring) remains out of the lineup Tuesday against the Yankees, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE reports.

He underwent an MRI on Monday, the results of which have not yet been made public. This will be the fourth game in a row that Franklin will miss with the hamstring strain. Mikie Mahtook will start in right field and bat sixth Tuesday.

Andrus homered and scored twice in a 3-for-4 game Monday against the Angels.

Andrus is on fire in September. Monday's home run marks his 10th extra-base hit in just 15 games, and he has now scored 11 runs to go with eight RBI and an excellent .340/.417/.622 batting line this month. Andrus has his OPS up to .784 after three consecutive years of posting an OPS below .700.

Espinosa powered the Nationals' offense Monday, going 1-for-2 with a three-run homer in a 4-3 loss to the Marlins.

The blast was Espinosa's 22nd of the year, but just his second in the last 15 games, a period over which he's hit an abysmal .146/.212/.292 while striking out 21 times in 48 at-bats. The 22 home runs mark a new career high for Espinosa, but his .384 slugging percentage is indicative of some luck in that homer tally and a potential reversion to the mean in 2017.

Merrifield went 2-for-5 with a double, a steal, an RBI and two runs against the White Sox on Monday.

A cold stretch got Merrifield demoted in late July, but he's been doing plenty of hitting since getting recalled Sept. 2 -- the 27-year-old rookie has gone 20-for-57 (.351) with a couple steals, nine RBI and 10 runs this month. Merrifield's been an everyday lineup presence lately, making him a viable down-the-stretch play in deeper formats.