MLB Player News

The Angels have flipped players in two prominent lineup spots for Monday's matchup with the Blue Jays, as shortstop Erick Aybar will lead off while right fielder Kole Calhoun bats cleanup.

Aybar will lead off for the ninth time this season. He's spent most of the year batting fifth or lower, but he was the team's cleanup hitter on Saturday for the first time this season and reprised the role Sunday.

"What Erick doesn't bring in patience, working counts, he brings in just athleticism and still gets on base at a rate which hopefully will set the table for Mike (Trout) and Albert (Pujols) moving forward," manager Mike Scioscia said, per MLB.com. "And also, we have Johnny Giavotella pushed back to ninth, to try to connect him with Mike. Hopefully there will be some table-setting there that's happening, and we'll get to the big guys in our lineup. "

Calhoun has made 28 starts in the leadoff spot, but he did bat cleanup five times in a row starting on April 30, with Aybar serving as the leadoff man in all five games. The team went 1-4 during that stretch, losing four straight games before going back to Calhoun at the leadoff spot.

"As much as we really like Kole in the leadoff spot, and in front of Mike, I think what we're presented with right now just makes the most sense to go with it this way," Scioscia said. "Guys have had a lot of time to get into their game and aren't there yet, so we need to start to take a little pressure off our pitching staff."

The Angels are road favorites (-123) in Toronto on Monday, per VegasInsider.com.

Astros first baseman Chris Carter went 1 for 4 at the plate in Houston's 6-5 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday.

Carter, who also struck out three times, ripped a three-run home run off of Jeff Francis in the sixth inning, his sixth of the season.

"We need (Carter) to be productive," manager A.J. Hinch said to the Houston Chronicle. "Unfortunately in baseball when you look at averages and you look and the season as a whole it might look ugly for him for a while.

"It's taken (Carter) a lot of at-bats to get into this range numbers wise in terms of batting average, on-base percentage, things like that. So if you can really evaluate based on quality plate appearances, you're starting to see two out of four, three out of four. We'd like to get four out of four out of him on a nightly basis rather than look at the whole season, see that his numbers are down and then come to a conclusion that way."

Carter is now hitting .158 with 16 RBI in 119 at-bats this season. He has also struck out 54 times in 35 games this season.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he's thinking about moving up shortstop Erick Aybar in the lineup to leadoff while dropping down right fielder Kole Calhoun towards the middle, reports the Orange County Register.

Aybar, who's primarily hit fifth or sixth this season, has been on a recent tear, batting .417 (15 for 36) over his last 10 games.

Calhoun has hit leadoff in 25 of the Angels' 34 games this season, hitting .314 with three homers and 18 RBI.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu is out of the starting lineup for the first time this season on Wednesday, the team announced. 

Abreu will be replaced by Adam LaRoche at first with Melky Cabrera taking the third slot in the batting order.

"I would prefer to continue to play, stay in the lineup, but Robin made the decision to give me the day off," Abreu said through an interpreter. "I have to be ready just in case the team needs to me for an at-bat or something."

Abreu is hitting .288 with six home runs and 20 RBI in 118 at-bats this season. The White Sox are currently the underdogs (+110) against Milwaukee.

Since being recalled from Triple-A, Blue Jays first baseman/outfielder Chris Colabello has provided an offensive lift, hitting in six of his first seven games. 

Colabello has seven hits in his last three games, lifting his average to .538. Colabello hasn't provided much pop, as 11 of his 14 hits have been singles, but has given Toronto a boost in the lower half of the batting order. 

Colabello has played three games in left field and four games in right, and also can play first base. 

With the White Sox beginning an interleague series Monday in Milwaukee, designated hitter Adam LaRoche is out of the lineup with Jose Abreu returning to first base. 

LaRoche had played first in Saturday's and Sunday's interleague game against the Reds, but Abreu had DH'd in the American League park. 

It has been previously reported that the White Sox have considered moving Abreu to third base for interleague games with no DH, in order to keep both he and LaRoche in the lineup.

The Blue Jays will sit outfielder/designated hitter Jose Bautista Monday in Baltimore and set their outfield with Chris Colabello in right field, Ezequiel Carrera in left and start Edwin Encarnacion at DH.

Bautista, who has been dealing with a sore shoulder, has started 12 of the last 13 games for the Blue Jays at DH.

Bautista has also struggled against the Orioles starting pitcher for Monday, Ubaldo Jimenez, going 2 for 29 in his career. 

Carrera will make his first start of the season in left, as all six of his starts this season have been in right.

Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun has hit .379/.455/.552 with one home run and seven RBI in 29 at-bats against left-handed pitching this season.

Calhoun's .476 BABIP has helped key his success against southpaws, which has been a large driver of his .294/.350/.431 line. It's a reversal of his production from last season, when he was stronger against righties and delivered a .710 OPS against lefties.

Calhoun has cooled in May after producing a .860 OPS in April, hitting just .250/.317/.306 in 36 at-bats this month. He has a pair of home games against the Rockies on tap before a three-game weekend series against the Orioles.

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana went 2 for 4 in Sunday's win over Minnesota. Santana drove in three runs, giving him 19 on the year. 

Santana scored once and lifted his average to .240.

The Angels gave Albert Pujols a day off from playing the field by moving the first baseman to designated hitter for Sunday's game. 

C.J. Cron, the normal DH, moves to first. It's the fourth time this season the Angels have made that position switch.