MLB Player News

Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella (illness) could return this weekend, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports.

A condition known as fourth nerve palsy has inhibited Giavotella's vision, causing him to see double and miss over a month of action, but manager Mike Sciscia said Tuesday that the second baseman's vision is all good now. Giavotella progressed from normal batting practice to facing live pitching Tuesday, and it sounds like he could bump Taylor Featherston to the bench as soon as Friday.

Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa has a small tear in his hamstring, Chelsea James of the Washington Post reports.

Manager Matt Williams did not declare how long Espinosa might be out, but that type of injury could impact his availability for remainder of the season. If Espinosa does indeed miss some time, Trea Turner could see a few spot starts down the stretch.

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa is dealing with a strained hamstring, Dan Kolko of MASN reports. 

As such, Espinosa is not in Monday's lineup, and he'll undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity of the ailment. It appears as though the Nationals are expecting Espinosa to miss at least a few games, and further details will emerge following Tuesday's evaluation.

Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe reached base four times in Sunday's win over the Orioles, going 2 for 3 with a three-run home run, double, and two walks.

Forsythe also pitched in two runs, while his homer gave the Rays a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning. The second baseman had seen some of his production tail off as he moved deeper into September, but he remains a high-on-base hitter with a respectable amount of power.

Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien went 1 for 3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in a 10-6 loss to the Astros.

Semien has a pretty nice bat, but it's hard to overlook 34 errors. Despite the errors, Semien is one of the best power-hitting shortstops in baseball, as he has 13 homers in 144 games. A surprising stat for Semien is that he has 11 steals and those two stats alone make him relevant in nearly every format.

Mariners shortstop Ketel Marte went 2 for 4 with two doubles in a 10-1 loss to Texas on Saturday.

Marte is in the midst of a seven-game hit streak and he has four doubles over his last two games. The young shortstop has solidified a nice role with the Mariners as he bats atop the lineup nearly every day. While he has no pop, Marte provides nice production in average, runs scored and steals.

Mariners shortstop Ketel Marte went 2 for 4 with two doubles, two RBI and a run in Friday's win over Texas.

The young shortstop is coming into his own, batting .288 with with 14 runs and six steals since the middle of August. Though he has not provided much in the way of power, he has clubbed 11 doubles in that span, representing all of his extra-base hits.

Phillies infielder/outfielder Darnell Sweeney is not in the lineup Friday against the Braves.

Sweeney has seen most of his work in left field, but has recently transitioned over to second with Cesar Hernandez out for the season. Andres Blanco will get the start at the keystone Friday, while Aaron Altherr will shift over to left field.

Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe is not in the lineup Friday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Tribune reports.

He's recorded just three hits in his last 21 at-bats, so it looks like he will get a night off to clear his head. Nick Franklin will take over at second base and hit eighth in the order.

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus went 0 for 3 on Thursday, but drew a walk, stole two bases and scored a run against the Astros.

The shortstop's now hit 20 steals for the seventh consecutive season to open his career, but as they have the last few years, his hitting numbers have lagged thanks to a near-total lack of power.

It's hard to shake the feeling that Andrus -- a very good contact hitter -- should be better than this, but he's been very consistently unproductive with the bat for the last three seasons. He's also not a particularly good base stealer, having been caught eight times this year and 15 times in 42 tries last year.