MLB Player News

With just one hit over the last four games, the Nationals opted to give infielder Danny Espinosa the day off to clear his head Thursday against the Padres.

Espinosa is batting just .177 on the season, with three home runs and 12 RBI. 

Padres infielder Logan Forsythe is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list on May 22, but will not begin baseball activities this week, manager Bud Black said Wednesday.

Forsythe has yet to play this season due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus stole second and third base after reaching base on an error in the fifth inning, giving him 10 steals this season. He was 0 for 4 but scored a run after stealing the bases.

Andrus didn't reach double digits in steals last season until June 15, when he produced a career-low 21 stolen bases. He has hit .267/.313/.321 in 179 plate appearances this season.

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham is slated for a rehab assignment beginning Saturday at Triple-A Charlotte, CSN Chicago reports.

Beckham had surgery for a broken bone in his hand last month and hasn't played since April 9. He is expected to return before the end of May.

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts Tuesday against the Dodgers, putting him in an 0-for-13 slump in his last three games and dropping his season average to .175.

"Danny's best side is right-handed. [Left-hander Clayton] Kershaw made some good pitches on him and he had some pitches to hit and I think he is trying to do too much," manager Davey Johnson said after Tuesday's game, per MLB.com. 

Teammate Tyler Moore is also mired in a hitting slump and hitting coach Rick Eckstein said they are struggling because both players are missing on fastballs.

"They have to get back on the fastball," Eckstein said. "You can't be in between. …. When you are facing guys as tough as Kershaw, you are not going to get too many pitches that are over the heart of the plate. The breaking stuff, when it's down in the zone, it has late sharp bite on it. It's pretty good. You have to get on the fastball. Anytime you are sitting in between, you are late on the heater and early in the off speed. You have to get back on the heater."

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is expected to miss at least the remaining two games of the series at Detroit after being placed on the bereavement list Tuesday, the team announced. Altuve, who ranks fourth in the American League with a .333 batting average, also suffered an injured jaw after colliding with teammate Jimmy Paredes in Monday's game.

Astros second basemen Jose Altuve passed a concussion test and is hoping to return to the lineup Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle reports. Altuve was diagnosed with a sublux of the right jaw after he collided with Jimmy Paredes in the second inning of Monday's 7-2 loss to the Tigers.

Altuve said he will be re-evaluated Tuesday but thinks he can play through his injury.

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham continued to take light swings in the batting cage on Monday as he recovers from a broken hamate bone (wrist). He added that his hand has been progressing the last few days.

"There's a lot to be excited about the way I'm swinging," Beckham said. "The second day I woke up after I hit, it was definitely sore. I woke up today and there was a lot less soreness from yesterday. I felt pretty good swinging the bat. When it's the right pitch, the right swing it's doing the right thing, but there are some pitches that tie me up that I don't feel comfortable with yet."

The 26-year-old plans on taking batting practice later in the week and hopes to head out on a rehab assignment in the near future.

"It's kind of like going back to spring training again," Beckham said. "You've got to see some pitches … I have to feel that with time, I'm going to start feeling comfortable back in the box again."

Astros second basemen Jose Altuve has been diagnosed with a sublux of the right jaw, the team announced. Altuve was forced to leave in the second inning of Monday's series opener against the Tigers after he collided with Jimmy Paredes.

There has been no timetable announced for his return.

Astros second basemen Jose Altuve was removed from Monday's series opener against the Tigers after colliding with Jimmy Paredes in the second inning. Team trainers appeared to be looking at Altuve's jaw before removing him from the game.

Marwin Gonzalez replaced him at second base.