MLB Player News

Forsythe was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a hairline fracture in his left shoulder blade, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE reports.

This is a difficult loss for the Rays as Forsythe had been arguably their best player to this point in the season, already reaching a 1.8 WAR, which is .8 higher than any other position player on the team. Forsythe was not only strong in the field, but he also buoyed a weak offense by slashing .308/.398/.523 with four home runs. Steve Pearce is taking Forsythe's place at second base Saturday, but Tim Beckham figures to also see some time there while Forsythe is sidelined. There's no timetable for Forsythe's return at this point.

Altuve went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk and two runs scored in Friday's 7-6 victory over the Red Sox.

The 26-year-old has reached safely in 12 of 13 games in May and is slashing .400/.466/.700 in 50 at-bats during the month. He's also got a six-game hitting streak at the moment, including three straight multi-hit efforts. Throw in his 13 stolen bases for the season, and Altuve clearly ranks as one of the top all-around players in 2016.

Petit was recalled by the Angels on Friday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Cliff Pennington was placed on the disabled list Friday after leaving Thursday's contest against St. Louis with a hamstring injury, leaving the Angels thin in terms of infield depth. Petit slashed .327/.377/.382 in 55 at-bats at Triple-A Salt Lake prior to being recalled Friday and he's a career .254/.282/.358 hitter at the big league level.

Manager Kevin Cash said that Forsythe (shoulder) is still sore but should be available off the bench Friday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.

With the soreness lingering beyond Thursday's team off day, the Rays will play it safe and hold Forsythe out again Friday, but it sounds like he will be available for pinch hitting duty. The skipper is hoping Forsythe will be able to return to the field Saturday, but confirmation won't come until the lineup for Saturday is released in the afternoon.

Albies, 19, is batting just .191 in 12 games since being promoted to Triple-A.

Albies has been punched out 10 times over that span, while failing to draw a walk. He does have one home run and one stolen base at this level, though.

Forsythe (shoulder) remains out of the lineup Friday against the A's, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The expectation was that Forsythe would be ready to return Friday after he was deemed available off the bench Wednesday, but it seems his shoulder is still not right. His availability for the rest of the weekend is up in the air. Tim Beckham will get the start at second base Friday against lefty Rich Hill.

Beckham went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and a run in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Phillies.

The third baseman seems to be settling in nicely to his new digs in Atlanta. His slash line of .303/.410/.424 is well above his career average line of .243/.306/.372. The key to Beckham's success has been his massive improvement in staying disciplined at the plate. He's walking 15.4 percent of the time (career average of 7.1 percent) and striking out at his lowest rate since 2013. Beckham appears healthy after a short stint on the DL due to a hamstring injury, and can hold some value in a variety of formats if he's able to continue being selective at the plate.

Dubon has worked with High-A Salem hitting coach Nelson Paulino to become more selective at the plate, resulting in improved strikeout and walk rates while making frequent, hard contact, the Boston Globe reports.

The 21-year-old shortstop has struck out just nine times in 143 plate appearances, dropping his whiff rate from 13.6 percent to 6.3 percent in 2016. His walk rate has ticked up from 7.7 percent to 9.8 percent as well. "He was just hitting the ball where it was pitched, and it was really impressive. It was a really good look. That, with the makeup and playing shortstop, it was just, 'Wow'," said one scout watching Salem. "He's impressed me more than anyone. From last year to this year, whether it's him improving, my opinion of him changing, or both, he's going to be an above-average player." Dubon has so far exceeded the expectations normally associated with a 26th round draft pick (2013).

Chavis will not require surgery on his injured left thumb, the Boston Globe reports.

Chavis has resumed baseball activities, but there's no estimation of when he might be able to play in a game. The 20-year-old was hitting well at the time of the injury, slashing .356/.415/.576 in 15 games for Low-A Greenville.

Herrera went 2-for-3 Wednesday, including hitting his fourth home run, and is batting .378 over his last 10 games for Triple-A Las Vegas.

After a slow start, Herrera is up to .301/.327/.515 in 27 games for the 51s. The plan as of now seems to be to let Neil Walker, a free agent after the season, walk and turn second base over to Herrera in 2017. A lot can change between now and then, but another strong year in the minors by Herrera would go a long way toward locking up that job.