MLB Player News

Struggling Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is set to sit Thursday against visiting Oakland. Nick Franklin will play the position instead.

Cabrera has been steadily unproductive since mid-April. His batting average has not been higher than .225 since that point. He currently owns a stat line of .209/.264/.338 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 148 at-bats.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu pushed his hitting streak to 15 games with a 1-for-4 performance Wednesday against the Indians. It is now the longest hitting streak in the AL this season, besting Shin-Soo Choo by one game.

Abreu is batting .328 (19 for 58) with one home run, two doubles, seven RBI, 12 runs, six walks and 13 strikeouts during his hitting streak.

Abreu's batting average has climbed from .268 to .293 during his hitting streak. However, his slugging percentage has actually declined from .537 to .486.

Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson was held out of the starting lineup Thursday against the Cardinals for the first time in 10 games. With Granderson out of the starting lineup, center fielder Juan Lagares moved into the leadoff spot for the third time this season.

That wasn't the only change to the lineup manager Terry Collins made. He moved shortstop Wilmer Flores into the second spot in the batting order. Flores has started to improve offensively, batting .262 with a .524 slugging percentage, two doubles, three home runs and seven RBI in his last 11 games.

Third baseman Eric Campbell, who hit second the last four games, was moved to seventh in the lineup.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was not penciled into the starting lineup for the first time all season for Thursday's afternoon game against the Marlins. Mark Trumbo, who usually starts in right field, started at first base in Goldschmidt's absence.

Goldschmidt, who had started the first 39 games, has been mired in a bit of a hitting slump for a couple of weeks. Since May 10, he is batting just .200 (7 for 35) in his last 10 games. He has one triple, one home run, two doubles, five RBI, six runs, five walks and seven strikeouts in that span.

"This is more of a mental day off," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said, per the Associated Press. "To ask a guy to play 162 games today is tough to do."

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard hit his eighth home run of the season in Wednesday night's 4-2 win over the Rockies. 

Four of Howard's home runs have now come in the past 15 games. Howard's homer came on a 1-1 pitch to center field in the third inning. He finished the game 3 for 5 and also hit a double and single. 

"He's having good swings," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said, per MLB.com. "He crushed that ball to center tonight. There was no help at all on that."

Howard is now hitting .257/.308/.507. 

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana (back spasms) remains out of the lineup Wednesday against the host White Sox, but should return Thursday, per the Northeast Ohio Media Group.

Santana has been sidelined since Sunday.

First baseman Chris Carter crushed a two-run homer off the stadium facade Tuesday in the Astros' win over the A's.

"To get the lead on him with [Carter's] home run was huge then keeping it on him."

Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun went 1 for 3 at the plate in Los Angeles' 3-2 win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Calhoun did his damage in the fourth inning when he blasted a solo home run over the left field wall off of Aaron Sanchez, his fourth of the season. Calhoun, who also scored an additional run, is now hitting .299 with 19 RBI in 137 at-bats this season.

Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera launched his second home run of the season during Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Braves.

Cabrera took Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz deep for a solo home run to tie the game in the fourth inning. It was his only hit of the night, as he finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. He raised his slash line to .214/.265/.345 on the year.

Indians first baseman Carlos Santana is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's matchup with the White Sox.

Santana was scratched from Monday's lineup with back spasms and finds himself on the bench for a second straight day on Tuesday. He has hit .220/.365/.341 with four home runs and 20 RBI in 123 at-bats.

Santana said his back has improved, but he is still a couple days away from returning, reports Ohio.com.

"They're working on him a bunch and he's doing better," manager Terry Francona said. "We've got to get him to the point where he feels he won't set himself back."

The Indians are underdogs (+120) in Chicago, per VegasInsider.com.