MLB Player News

White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham is expected to resume his minor-league rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A Charlotte, MLB.com reports.

Beckham, recovering from an injured hand, began his rehab assignment last Thursday. He felt soreness in the hand and was forced to back off, but he appears ready to go. If he doesn't reaggravate the injury, he should return in early June.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge said prospect Nick Franklin will get his first major-league start Tuesday against the Padres, MLB.com reports. 

Franklin will start at second base and bat seventh. Franklin was called up Monday and walked in his only plate appearance against the Padres.

Franklin began the season as the No. 47 prospect in the majors, according to MLB.com. He had a .324 average and .472 slugging percentage with four homers and seven steals over 39 games at Triple-A Tacoma. 

The swelling in Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa's wrist has subsided enough he might be available to pinch-hit Tuesday against the Orioles. Espinosa will take full batting practice and field grounders before the game and could make his return to the starting lineup as early as Wednesday. 

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa missed his fifth game in a row Tuesday against the Orioles, as he continues to deal with bone chips in his right wrist.

The team continues to aim for Wednesday or Thursday as a possible return date for Espinosa. 

On Monday, the Mariners promoted prospect Nick Franklin from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Dustin Ackley at second base, which can only be an improvement for Fantasy owners. Of course, by the time the Mariners made the switch, most had already given up on Ackley, his ownership rate dropping to about 40 percent.

So then, how many owners will actually benefit form this move?

Franklin is a legit prospect, but at age 22, he's hardly a finished product. His numbers at Tacoma, while impressive in terms of contact rate and plate discipline, were lacking in other areas. Four home runs in 142 at-bats are just par for the course in the heavy-hitting Pacific Coast League and especially disappointing for a player whose home run totals were lacking each of the last two seasons.

Naturally, if you need a shortstop or second baseman -- and many teams do -- Franklin is well worth your while, but if not, I'm thinking he's unlikely to perform well enough to establish much trade value. I'm expecting more along the lines of a Neil Walker than an Ian Kinsler.

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham will resume his minor-league rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Charlotte after he was shut down due to discomfort in his left wrist, MLB.com reports.

Beckham has been sidelined since April 9. He was hitting .316/.333/.316 in 19 at-bats before landing on the disabled list.

The Nationals are waiting to see how shortstop Danny Espinosa responds to batting practice Monday, but the team has already ruled out a surgical repair for the bone chips in his right wrist.

Espinosa is going to either have to play through pain or hit the disabled list for extended rest, depending on how the injury responds over the next few days. The team plans on having him increase his workload in the coming days to test it out.

"We've already tried a couple times to rest it and get him back," team doctor Wiemi Douoguih told reporters. "If it flares up again, we're going to have to have a more extended period of rest. This is not like a surgical issue. This is something that needs rest."

Nationals shortstop Danny Espinosa still does not have a concrete timeline after doing some workouts Monday, but he has also managed to avoid any setbacks in his fractured wrist.

Espinosa did some hitting Monday, and team doctor Wiemi Douoguih told reporters that he looked and felt good hitting. The team will continue to ramp up his activity level over the next few days, and he hops to return to the starting lineup sometime this week. 

The Mariners called up infield prospect Nick Franklin, the Tacoma News Tribune reports Monday. 

Franklin was tearing it up with Triple-A Tacoma as he's hit .324 with a .472 slugging percentage with four homers and seven stolen bases over 39 games. He's likely to play as the Mariners wouldn't promote a top prospect to sit on the bench. 

Franklin began the 2013 season as the No. 47 prospect in the majors, according to MLB.com. 

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa did not start Monday against the Orioles, but he's still shooting to return either Tuesday or Wednesday, as reported previously by the Washington Post. 

Espinosa has been out since May 22 with a wrist injury and should undergo a workout Monday to determine when he'll be able to return.