MLB Player News

Despite shutting Danny Espinosa down with bone chips in his right wrist, Nationals manager Davey Johnson does no expect infield prospect Anthony Rendon to be a call-up candidate if the team opts to make a roster move, according to MASN.com.  

Rendon hit .240 in an eight-game call this season and is hitting .330 at Double-A Harrisburg. 

The Washington Times reported Friday that Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa has been playing with a bone chip in his wrist since being hit by a pitch in April.

Espinosa is expected to spend the next two or three days resting, before a decision is made on his long-term prognosis. He was not in the lineup Friday against the Phillies. 

Initial x-rays taken in April did not show a break, but additional testing on Friday confirmed the injury. If he can play with the pain, he might avoid the disabled list, but they will give him a few days off to rest. Surgery could be an option, though the team hopes to avoid it, according to The Washington Post. 

Espinosa is hitting .163, including .150 in May. 

Padres infielder Logan Forsythe is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, but isn't ready as he works his way back from a foot injury. But he did receive good news Wednesday.

Padres manager Bud Black told MLB.com that Forsythe will begin his rehab assignment Friday in Arizona, playing in extended spring training games. Forsythe has been out since spring training with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. 

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa was on the bench for a second straight game Monday against the Giants, mired in a 1-for-30 slump. Manager Davey Johnson noted, however, he had a "good talk" with Espinosa.

"I think he's a little beat up right now," Johnson said, per MLB.com. "I hate to just sit him out, but he's certainly not doing things he knows he's capable of doing. So it's frustrating for him and he feels like he's letting everybody down. But he's trying to do his best. Sometimes just getting away from it a little bit helps."

Johnson said he's "surprised" Espinosa hasn't taken a step forward this season, but he's confident the 26-year-old infielder will turn it around.

"How you handle adversity is a large part of your success," Johnson said. "We'll get through this. Coming in this year I felt like Danny was a key guy, and if he started doing the things that he's capable of doing, it could make the year a whole lot of fun. I still feel that way."

Padres infielder Logan Forsythe (foot) took batting practice on the field for the first time since he had the protective boot removed from his right foot.

Forsythe also took some grounders prior to Thursday's game against the Nationals. He is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list on May 22.

"He's on the field doing baseball activities stuff, so he's on the way back," manager Bud Black told MLB.com. "He's on the mend."

With just one hit over the last four games, the Nationals opted to give infielder Danny Espinosa the day off to clear his head Thursday against the Padres.

Espinosa is batting just .177 on the season, with three home runs and 12 RBI. 

Padres infielder Logan Forsythe is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list on May 22, but will not begin baseball activities this week, manager Bud Black said Wednesday.

Forsythe has yet to play this season due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts Tuesday against the Dodgers, putting him in an 0-for-13 slump in his last three games and dropping his season average to .175.

"Danny's best side is right-handed. [Left-hander Clayton] Kershaw made some good pitches on him and he had some pitches to hit and I think he is trying to do too much," manager Davey Johnson said after Tuesday's game, per MLB.com. 

Teammate Tyler Moore is also mired in a hitting slump and hitting coach Rick Eckstein said they are struggling because both players are missing on fastballs.

"They have to get back on the fastball," Eckstein said. "You can't be in between. …. When you are facing guys as tough as Kershaw, you are not going to get too many pitches that are over the heart of the plate. The breaking stuff, when it's down in the zone, it has late sharp bite on it. It's pretty good. You have to get on the fastball. Anytime you are sitting in between, you are late on the heater and early in the off speed. You have to get back on the heater."

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa picked up a hit for the fifth time in six May games Friday, as he continues to try to turn his season around. Espinosa now has five RBI and a .273 batting average in May after he hit just .173 in April.

Epinosa will never been known for his batting average, as he has yet to hit better than .250 in a season. But he is also certainly better than he looked in April, making him a solid buy-low candidate for Fantasy owners.

If you are looking for a potentially cheap source of power from the middle infield position, Fantasy owners can do worse than trying to poach Espinosa from a disgruntled owner. 

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa bumped his May line to .357/.375/.643 with a 2-for-3 performance Wednesday against the Tigers. After finishing April with a .173/.212/.333 line, he owns a .200 batting average for the first time since April 10.