MLB Player News

Forsythe has excelled in his leadoff role to date in 2016, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.

The 29-year-old has validated manager Kevin Cash's decision to place him at the top of the lineup, leading the Rays with a .337 average, and hitting .364 during the first inning. Forsythe had adjusted to the nuances of being the first man up against the opposing pitcher by making his warm-up process more efficient. "The routine is actually the big thing," he said. "I've been able to shorten it up. Make sure my body's ready. Get a couple of more swings before I step in for that first at-bat of the game. It's going well right now. I want to continue to grow on it, try to get better in early counts." The five-year veteran sees his presence at the top of the order as somewhat of a break from the norm, given that leadoff men have traditionally been profiled as low-power speed merchants. "There seems like there's more and more contact guys, guys who can put the ball in play. Very good with pitch-recognition," he said. "They give you that quality at-bat. I've noticed it not necessarily being that speedster. (It's) maybe even a power guy."

Polanco is expected to be optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday as Trevor Plouffe (ribs) returns from the DL, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Polanco once again returns to Triple-A following his second call-up of the season. The 22-year-old is 1-for-7 in the majors and will get more chances to hone his skills in the minors. Polanco had a great spring, and it's clear the Twins are optimistic about their young shortstop going forward.

Beckham (hamstring) ran Sunday and is nearing a rehab assignment, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan reports.

It's likely that Beckham will push through a rehab assignment in a matter of days, which could allow him to return to the Braves' roster as soon as this weekend.

Filling in for the injured Joe Panik (groin), Tomlinson went 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's win over the Mets.

Panik's groin injury isn't considered serious, so Tomlinson could be back in a bench role as soon as Tuesday. That said, he should be in the starting lineup Monday against the Reds. With lefty Brandon Finnegan scheduled to start, Tomlinson could be a discount target at the keystone in daily formats.

Altuve went 1-for-3 Sunday with a walk and a solo shot, his seventh home run of the season.

It was also his fourth leadoff home run on the young campaign, and Altuve seems determined to break Alfonso Soriano's MLB record of 13 leadoff homers in a season. Last year's power spike is clearly for real, and the diminutive second baseman is now slashing an impressive .306/.404/.633 through 98 at-bats.

Drury went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored during Sunday's loss to Colorado.

The rookie is in the midst of an absolute power surge over the last five games, as he has five extre-base hits, including four home runs, to go along with six RBI and six runs scored during that span. He is thriving in the two-hole for a strong Arizona lineup and is worth a look in all formats as long as he continues to produce at this rate.

Forsythe went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and two RBI in Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays.

While the Rays' offense as a whole has been mired in a season-long malaise, Forsythe has been one of the few exceptions to the struggles. He's slashed an outstanding .341/.426/.610, and has multi-hit outings in four of his last six games. He's also walked in four straight contests, making him a constant presence on the basepaths. The 29-year-old's contributions at the top of the order have rendered him an invaluable piece of an attack that's needed all the help he's been able to provide in the early going in 2016.

Giavotella is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Though the Angels will be facing lefty Cole Hamels on Sunday, the right-handed hitting Giavotella will ride the pine after Saturday's 0-for-4 showing dropped his batting average to .182. Backup Cliff Pennington will get the start at the keystone Sunday, and could parlay the opportunity into more playing time if he's able to provide the sort of offensive punch that Giavotella has lacked this season.

Drury went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer Saturday against the Rockies.

Drury's fourth homer of the season tied the game in the sixth inning of a game the Diamondbacks would go on to lose. He ended the month on a high note, as he hit three homers in his last four games to raise his slugging percentage to .588.

Albies was promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports.

Albies was the youngest player in the Southern League, but that didn't stop him from slashing .369/.442/.512 with one home run and two steals and a 13:10 K:BB in 95 plate appearances in one of the most difficult hitting environments in the minor leagues at Double-A Mississippi. Fellow top prospect and shortstop Dansby Swanson was subsequently promoted to Double-A, as Swanson follows Albies up the organizational ladder. Albies figures to beat Swanson to the big leagues and immediately slot in as the team's starting shortstop, possibly sometime this summer. He will offer an incredibly advanced hit tool and approach, plus the potential for double-digit steals.