MLB Player News

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve went 1 for 3 at the plate in Houston's 6-5 win over the Angels on Saturday.

Altuve did his damage in the first inning when he crushed a solo home run over the left field wall off of Matt Shoemaker, his fourth of the season. Altuve is now hitting .349 with 21 RBI in 129 at-bats this season.

White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham and catcher Geovany Soto are in the starting lineup for Chicago's second game against the Reds on Saturday.

Beckham replaces Conor Gillaspie and Soto replaces Tyler Flowers, who both started in game 1. 

Astros center fielder Jake Marisnick has been bumped up to lead off in Houston's batting order for Saturday's game against the Angels, moving Jose Altuve to second, the team announced.

It's the first time all season someone other than Altuve will lead off for Houston. Marisnick, who has hit in the bottom third of the lineup all year, is hitting .325 with three home runs in 83 at-bats this season. However, Marisnick is hitting .121 in 33 at-bats from the lead off role. 

"I'm excited," Altuve said. 'It's fun. … I'm kind of hoping we feed off each other and get rolling and get this offense going a little bit. We've been a little bit sluggish here the last couple of games. It would be nice to get it rolling."

With Joc Pederson and Andre Ethier getting the day off Saturday, Chris Heisey, who was recalled from the minors on Thursday, and utilityman Enrique Hernandez get the call for the Dodgers in Colorado.

Heisey will leadoff and play center field while Hernandez gets the start in right field and will bat seventh.

INF/OF Alex Guerrero also gets a spot start Saturday, spelling Juan Uribe at third base and hitting fifth.

Although the Nationals' Danny Espinosa is a switch hitter, his left-handed swing is much different than this right-handed one, and it's evident by his power numbers, reports the Washington Post.

Espinosa has worked to make his lefty swings more compact to send the barrel straight to ball, resutling in a better performance from the left side in recent years.

“I’m just trying not to do too much, just trying to stay within myself,” Espinosa said. “I’m just trying not to over-think things, stay in rhythm, hit what’s given to me and not try to create something. Really just trying to stay within myself.”

Nationals manager Matt Williams said that Espinosa has more power from the right side, but because he is a switch-hitter, he gets fewer at-bats from the right side -- part of the reason he’s hit 44 home runs left-handed and 15 from the right side.

Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa hit two home runs during Friday night's 9-2 win over the Braves. 

Espinosa went 2 for 4 and totaled three RBI. He hit a solo homer in the seventh inning and a two-run shot in the eighth. This ended a hitless streak of two games in a row, where Espinosa at least had one at-bat.

It's also the fourth time this season Espinosa has recorded more than one hit in a game. 

Espinosa has garnered more playing time this spring with Anthony Rendon sidelined with injuries. 

For just the second time this season, someone not named Evan Longoria will start at third base for the Rays on Thursday. Longoria will be the designated hitter for manager Kevin Cash as the Rays start a four-game series against the Rangers.

Longoria has been hitting the ball well lately, batting over .300 in his last 10 games, including a two-homer night on Wednesday. He'll cede third base duties to Logan Forsythe on Thursday.

Never mind the five-game hitting streak - Athletics second baseman Marcus Semien is out of the Thursday lineup in Minnesota for the first time this season.

Semien has started every game at that position in 2015. He is also on a fine run with seven hits in the last five games to improve his slash line to .283/.331/.434.

Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins received his fourth day off this season, as he was held out of Thursday's starting lineup against the Brewers. Rollins is sitting for the second time this month.

Rollins has been struggling lately, hitting just .128 (5 for 39) in his last 10 games, though he does have a pair of home runs during that stretch. Enrique Hernandez started at shortstop on Thursday, while batting eighth for manager Don Mattingly.

Angels infielder Johnny Giavotella has never had more than 181 at-bats in any single season. So far in 2015, he has 84, and is likely in line for many more this season. 

Giavotella has become the starting second baseman for manager Mike Scioscia, as he has started all but two of the team's 28 games this season. And he has rewarded his skipper's faith by hitting a clean .286 with 12 RBI, including a walk-off double in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Mariners. It was his fifth game-winning RBI of the season.

"He's just a tough out," Scioscia said, per MLB.com. "He's been a tough out his whole life, at every level in the Minor Leagues. Now he's getting an opportunity in the big leagues, and he's shown that he gives a tough at-bat every time. It's important to our club. We talk about the guys that we need to get into their game, but Johnny Giavotella has been one of the bright spots."

As long as he stays healthy and productive, Giavotella should easily surpass his career-high of 181 at-bats, among other offensive categories.