MLB Player News

Astros second baseman and leadoff hitter Jose Altuve is set to sit Saturday with a neck injury sustained Friday night.

Altuve leads the major leagues with 158 hits and ranks third with a .333 batting average.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was removed from Friday's game with neck discomfort, the team announced.

Altuve went 0 for 3 in the outing before coming out with the injury. He's day-to-day until more is known about the extent of the issue. Altuve has hit .333/.369/.434 with four home runs, 34 RBI and 45 stolen bases in 475 at-bats.

The Marlins have promoted infielder Ed Lucas and sent down outfielder Enrique Hernandez. The pair had taken an opposite path on July 31.

Hernandez fared decently during his stint with the team. He posted a stat line of .261/.323/.386 with one home run and eight RBI in 88 at-bats.

Nationals deposed starting second baseman Danny Espinosa is considering shedding switch-hitting and batting right-handed full-time, per the Washington Post.

Matt Williams would not complain if that happened.

"For me, he just gets on top of the baseball, more from the right side than he does from the left side," Williams said. "Something he works on everyday left-handed, but it's naturally a little more on top of the baseball right-handed."

Espinosa, who slugged a three-run homer right-handed Wednesday, owns a weak .184/.243/.294 stat line as a left-handed hitter this year, but is batting .309 from the right side.

Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa went 1 for 4 with a three-run home run in his team's 7-1 win over the Mets Wednesday.

Espinosa had endured a massive power drought before Wednesday, with his last home run coming all the way back on May 12. Due to get spotty playing time after the addition of Asdrubal Cabrera last week, Espinosa owns a .221/.285/.361 line with seven home runs, 25 RBI and seven stolen bases in 285 at-bats.

The Marlins announced several roster moves following Thursday's loss to Cincinnati. The team optioned Dan Jennings and Ed Lucas down to Triple-A New Orleans. The team will promote Jarred Cosart and Kike Hernandez. Cosart will make his season debut Friday night against the Reds.

The Rays have assigned newly acquired infielder Nick Franklin to Triple-A Durham, according to the Tampa Tribune on Thursday. Franklin was included in the deal that sent David Price to Detroit just before the trade deadline. He had only nine homers in 279 at-bats at Triple-A Tacoma. 

The Marlins acquired pitcher Jarred Cosart, infielder Enrique Hernandez and outfielder Austin Wates from the Astros prior to Thursday's trade deadline, in exchange for a package of prospects that includes third baseman Colin Moran, outfielder Jake Marisnick and pitcher Francis Martes.

The deal came through just before the deadline, and likely includes a compensation pick going Houston's way, according to MLB.com. 

The Marlins have acquired infielder Enrique Hernandez from the Astros in a deal that just beat the trade deadline Thursday, according to numerous reports.

Hernandez appeared in 24 games for the Astros this season, hitting .284/.348/.420 in 81 at-bats. He was hitting .337/.380/.508 in Triple-A Oklahoma City this season as well. 

The Mariners butted their way into the David Price sweepstakes and came away with outfielder Austin Jackson from the Tigers, in exchange for infielder Nick Franklin, who was then sent to the Rays.

Jackson is hitting .270/.330/.397 in 370 at-bats for the Tigers, who removed him from Thursday's game just before the trade was announced.

Franklin has struggled in his second major-league season, though he also hasn't had many chances prior to this. He has yet to homer in 52 at-bats, and has just nine in 279 at-bats at Triple-A Tacoma.