MLB Player News

The Mariners optioned de Geus to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday.

His latest stint in the big leagues lasted just one day without making an appearance. De Geus is clearing out to make room on the roster for Emerson Hancock, who is starting Thursday against the White Sox.

The Mariners optioned Rivas to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday.

Rivas was brought up from the minors Monday to serve as temporary depth while Dylan Moore was away on paternity leave. Now that Moore has returned, Rivas will head back to Triple-A, where he's slashed .255/.386/.353 across 130 plate appearances.

The Mariners reinstated Moore (personal) from the paternity list Thursday.

Moore has been away from the team since Monday to spend time with his family, and he will now return to the Mariners ahead of Thursday's series finale against the White Sox. The 31-year-old has slashed .160/.233/.200 with two RBI and five runs scored since the beginning of June.

The Mariners recalled Hancock from Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday.

Hancock will start Thursday against the White Sox, giving the other members of Seattle's rotation some extra rest amidst a stretch of one team day off over the next 14 days. The right-hander has already logged seven starts at the big-league level this season -- the most recent on May 7 -- but has pitched to a 5.24 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while forging a 3-3 record. He's been much more effective at Tacoma, where he's sitting on a 2.17 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over the 29 innings covering his five starts with the Rainiers.

Speier (shoulder) is no longer experiencing discomfort and is slated to begin playing catch soon, MLB.com reports.

Speier went on the injured list June 1after suddenly feeling persistent pain in the shoulder in the days following a May 29 appearance against the Astros. Even with the imminent resumption of a throwing program, Speier may not be a candidate for activation until July when factoring in the likely need for a rehab assignment.

France (heel) has a good chance of returning from the injured list when first eligible Tuesday, or very shortly thereafter, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

The positive news was delivered by general manager Justin Hollander before Wednesday's game against the White Sox, and it represents a more optimistic outlook than when France first went on the injured list Sunday with what was diagnosed as a hairline fracture of the heel. France had posted a .308 average and 1.013 OPS over the last 12 games he played before the injury, so the hope for fantasy managers is a brief IL stay will up the chances of him carrying over that momentum.

Polanco (hamstring) is slated to run the bases before Thursday's game against the White Sox and then head out on a rehab assignment, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

Polanco has been progressively ramping up his level of activity in recent days, apparently without any setbacks. MLB.com reports that general manager Justin Hollander indicated team trainers would jointly assess Polanco's condition with the veteran infielder following Thursday's activity, at which point the length of the rehab assignment would likely be determined.

The Twins recalled Martin from Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

He's switching spots with Alex Kirilloff, who has been optioned to St. Paul. Martin has slashed just .224/.289/.355 across 30 games at the big-league level this season. He could see some action versus lefties, but the 25-year-old's playing time is unlikely to be steady.

Cowser hit a two-run home run in his lone at-bat in Wednesday's 4-2 win over Atlanta.

Cowser entered the game as a defensive replacement for Ryan O'Hearn in the top of the eighth inning, and he was able to make some noise on offense with his go-ahead blast a half-inning later. The homer was Cowser's first since May 26 and just his second since the start of May, as his hot start to the year has faded. He's batting just .196 over his last 16 contests, though Cedric Mullins' struggles at the plate have allowed Cowser to maintain a decent share of playing time. The 24-year-old is slashing .234/.324/.436 with eight homers, four stolen bases, 29 RBI and 27 runs scored across 216 plate appearances.

Akin (2-0) allowed two runs on two hits and struck out one over 1.1 innings, picking up a blown save but earning the win and over Atlanta on Wednesday.

Akin ended up squandering a two-run lead when he gave up a home run to Matt Olson in the top of the eighth inning. The Orioles got it right back on a Colton Cowser blast in their half of the frame, and Craig Kimbrel closed out the win. Akin has had a mild case of reverse splits this year -- lefties are hitting .245 off the southpaw, while right-handed batters have hit just .206. Overall, he's pitching better to all hitters this season, and he has a 4.13 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 35:12 K:BB over 32.2 innings in a low-leverage role. Akin may see slightly tougher matchups moving forward, as he is one of two southpaws left in the bullpen, along with Cionel Perez, to cover for the absence of Danny Coulombe (elbow), who is expected to have a relatively short stay on the injured list.