MLB Player News

Fontana will start at second base and bat eighth Sunday against the Marlins.

Since being called up to the big leagues Monday, Fontana has recorded only one hit in 11 at-bats, but he'll still benefit from his second start in a row with everyday second baseman Danny Espinosa in the midst of an extended slump. Once either Fontana or Espinosa is able to find some success at the plate, that player could end up taking on the bulk of the starts at the keystone.

Espinosa is out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins.

Espinosa seems to have fallen into a timeshare at the keystone with Nolan Fontana, who will draw a second straight start. With one hit in 11 at-bats since being promoted to the big leagues Monday, Fontana has done little to distinguish himself, but he'll likely remain a factor for playing time so long as Espinosa remains stuck in a rut of his own. Espinosa has recorded only five hits (.093 average) in May and has struck out in one third of his plate appearances.

Altuve went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs during Saturday's win over Baltimore.

The second baseman hit both doubles off lefty Wade Miley, which improved Altuve to an impressive .897 OPS and .379 wOBA against southpaws dating back to last year. His track record against left-handed pitchers shouldn't go overlooked in daily contests. Altuve is now up to 14 extra-base hits, 15 RBI and 18 runs with an .859 OPS through 25 games this month.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Arroyo will get at least two days off, Alec Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Arroyo has endured a tough month at the plate thus far -- slashing just .180/.245/.258 across 24 games (98 plate appearances) -- prompting Bochy to give the youngster at least a couple days to catch his breath, clear his mind and work on some things. Look for Arroyo to rejoin the Giants lineup for Monday's series opener against the Nationals.

Arroyo is not in the lineup Saturday against the Braves, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Arroyo is in the midst of an 0-for-19 slump over his last five games, so he'll head to the bench to clear his mind as Aaron Hill takes over at third base.

Arroyo was not optioned to the minors when Aaron Hill (forearm) was activated off the disabled list Friday.

There were rumblings of a possible demotion for the struggling rookie (.186/.236/.297), but it appears that he will remain in the majors to work out of his slump. It is unclear if Hill's return will eat into Arroyo's playing time, but the team is unlikely to keep him on the bench often as it could delay his development. The 21-year-old will have to show some life at the plate to avoid a demotion when Hunter Pence (hamstring) returns from the disabled list as early as next weekend, so he isn't out of the woods quite yet.

Espinosa is out of Saturday's lineup against the Marlins.

He is hitting .077 with one home run and a 32 percent strikeout rate over his last 65 at-bats. Nolan Fontana will start at second base and hit eighth.

Polanco is out of Saturday's lineup against the Rays, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

He is hitting .239/.280/.391 over his last 12 games, but has still earned the starting nod in each of the previous four contests. Ehire Adrianza will start at shortstop and hit ninth in his stead.

Andrus went 1-for-4 with a walk and a pair of stolen bases in Friday's 7-6 loss to the Blue Jays.

With six homers and nine steals just over 30 percent of the way through the season, Andrus is well on his way to finishing with double-digit totals in both categories for the first time in his career. His .315 on-base percentage may leave something to be desired in the upper half of the lineup, but with Rougned Odor and Mike Napoli struggling even more to reach base, Andrus isn't a candidate to move down in the order in the near future.

Forsythe is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

Enrique Hernandez will take over at third base in place of Forsythe, who is 1-for-8 with five strikeouts since returning from a fractured toe. Still, Forsythe figures to be a staple in the Dodgers lineup now that he's healthy. Look for Forsythe to draw back in for Friday's series opener against the Cubs.