MLB Player News

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa is hoping to return to the starting lineup Tuesday or Wednesday, the Washington Post reports.

Espinosa has been out with a wrist injury since May 22. He will undergo a workout Monday to determine if he is ready to return. The wrist injury could be partially behind his poor performance this season, as Espinosa is hitting .163/.196/.291.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said he plans to give shortstop Elvis Andrus a breather Sunday against the Mariners after watching the shortstop commit his third error in a week Saturday. Rookie Jurickson Profar will start in Andrus' absence.

"When he starts making errors like that, he’s tired," Washington said, per The Dallas Morning News.

Washington added he plans to rest Andrus during one game of Monday's doubleheader against the Diamondbacks. Aside from his defensive lapses, Andrus is mired in a 3-for-23 slump (.130) since a five-hit game May 18. Washington said a few games off should "refresh" the struggling shortstop. 

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham, who is on the disabled list with a wrist injury, has been feeling soreness when hitting and will be taken out of the lineup for a day or two, MLB.com reports.

Earlier this week, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Beckham could return this weekend, but that's a long shot with the second baseman experiencing soreness. Provided the soreness isn't a major setback, Beckham could return next week.

Despite dealing with bone chips in his right wrist since April, Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa refused to blame his poor hitting on the injury. 

"I won't ever use this as an excuse," he told reporters after the injury was announced. "I haven't hit lately."

Espinosa is batting .150 in May and has three hits in his last 10 games. He will be shut down for a few days to rest before a determination on his long-term availability is made. Surgery is not currently being considered. 

Despite shutting Danny Espinosa down with bone chips in his right wrist, Nationals manager Davey Johnson does no expect infield prospect Anthony Rendon to be a call-up candidate if the team opts to make a roster move, according to MASN.com.  

Rendon hit .240 in an eight-game call this season and is hitting .330 at Double-A Harrisburg. 

The Washington Times reported Friday that Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa has been playing with a bone chip in his wrist since being hit by a pitch in April.

Espinosa is expected to spend the next two or three days resting, before a decision is made on his long-term prognosis. He was not in the lineup Friday against the Phillies. 

Initial x-rays taken in April did not show a break, but additional testing on Friday confirmed the injury. If he can play with the pain, he might avoid the disabled list, but they will give him a few days off to rest. Surgery could be an option, though the team hopes to avoid it, according to The Washington Post. 

Espinosa is hitting .163, including .150 in May. 

Padres infielder Logan Forsythe is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, but isn't ready as he works his way back from a foot injury. But he did receive good news Wednesday.

Padres manager Bud Black told MLB.com that Forsythe will begin his rehab assignment Friday in Arizona, playing in extended spring training games. Forsythe has been out since spring training with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. 

White Sox manager Robin Ventura told Comcast SportsNet Chicago that Gordon Beckham will not be switching from second base to shortstop, despite playing shortstop during Monday's rehab game.

Ventura worked out Beckham at shortstop during spring break but never used him in a game. Ventura wants to see if he is capable of handling a limited role at shortstop on days when Alexei Ramirez is not in the lineup.

"When everybody starts getting healthy you can only fit so many people in certain spots," Ventura said. "Alexei is the shortstop. But in case you need somebody there, is (Beckham) able to do that? That's more of a reason to have him do it. I want him to play second base here. But for one game, or if something happens before you could get somebody up here, would he be able to do it? … You start to find out if he's comfortable."

Beckham, who played shortstop in college, has gone 6 for 13 with two RBI in three rehab games and could be back with the White Sox at the end of the week.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has dropped Scott Boras as his agent, according to MLB.com.

Altuve rejoined Scott Pucino and Wil Polidor of Octagon, where he left about a year ago for Boras. Altuve is still under team control through the 2017 season, so he won't be a free agent anytime soon. He won't be arbitration-eligible until 2015. Altuve is hitting .327/.361/.430 in 165 at-bats. 

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa was on the bench for a second straight game Monday against the Giants, mired in a 1-for-30 slump. Manager Davey Johnson noted, however, he had a "good talk" with Espinosa.

"I think he's a little beat up right now," Johnson said, per MLB.com. "I hate to just sit him out, but he's certainly not doing things he knows he's capable of doing. So it's frustrating for him and he feels like he's letting everybody down. But he's trying to do his best. Sometimes just getting away from it a little bit helps."

Johnson said he's "surprised" Espinosa hasn't taken a step forward this season, but he's confident the 26-year-old infielder will turn it around.

"How you handle adversity is a large part of your success," Johnson said. "We'll get through this. Coming in this year I felt like Danny was a key guy, and if he started doing the things that he's capable of doing, it could make the year a whole lot of fun. I still feel that way."