MLB Player News

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa visited with a specialist Wednesday to undergo MRIs on his right wrist and left shoulder. However, general manager Mike Rizzo didn't share the results with reporters Wednesday afternoon.

One of the reasons why I have had Jose Altuve ranked fourth among second basemen in Rotisserie formats is that I figured he would hit 10 or more homers to go along with 30-plus steals and a .300 batting average. The latter two marks are within reach, but Altuve has only two home runs after 55 games.

My hopes for Altuve to experience at least a minor power boost were based on his minor-league record, which showed that the Astros' 5-foot-5 two-hole hitter had surprising clout. His spray chart on TexasLeaguers.com shows that he still has the capability to hit the ball deep. With just a little more distance, Altuve would already be delivering on some of the promise he showed as a prospect.

Factor in a 25 percent line drive rate, and Altuve is already providing some evidence that he could be a sneaky source of extra-base power going forward.

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa will see a specialist in Baltimore for his fractured right wrist after being placed on the disabled list Tuesday. According to MLB.com, surgery is not an option for either his wrist or his torn left rotator cuff, and he will just rest while on the disabled list.

The team will also likely send him to the minors once he's healthy to fix his swingt. Espinosa is batting .158 with three home runs.

"We finally put Danny on the disabled list to clean up all the wrist questions that we had, and for him to rehab and then go down to the minor leagues, with a healthy wrist, go down there and work on the mental side of hitting," general manager Mike Rizzo told MLB.com. "[We want to] see if we can get him back here because he's a guy that we need -- that's going to be a guy that we're going to count on some time this year. So we want to get him right."

The team called up top prospect Anthony Rendon to replace Espinosa on the active roster. 

With his promotion to the Nationals, Anthony Rendon is sure to draw plenty of interest from mixed-league owners because he should get regular starts at second baseman. That means that Nick Franklin is no longer the latest prospect to join the ranks at the position, but he's still widely available and no less valuable in Fantasy than Rendon.

Since the Mariners made Franklin their man at 2B, he has shown the same patient approach he displayed in the minors, averaging 4.0 pitches per plate appearance, and he's even had a two-homer game. Owners shouldn't expect more than moderate home run power from Franklin, but he can provide doubles along with a high batting average and on-base percentage. Although Rendon is probably the better bet for homers, Franklin has the better potential for steals.

Given Rendon's injury history and relative lack of professionial experience, I'd prefer Franklin as my second baseman in standard mixed leagues. He's still owned in only 53 percent of the leagues on CBSSports.com, so in those formats, you should still be able to get him.

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, as his right wrist injury continues to bother him.

Espinosa has been dealing with bone chips and a fracture in his right wrist for the last few weeks, but was planning to play through it before being placed on the disabled list.

Espinosa has struggled all season, batting just .158 with a .465 OPS. He has also been dealing with a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. His timeline is not yet known. 

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve extended his hitting streak to six games Monday against the Angels. However, they have all been one-hit affairs, which has dropped his average from .306 to .296.

Altuve has been in a slump for several weeks. He has just three multi-hit games in his last 20 starts, batting .210 (17 for 18) in that span. His batting average was .345 before his recent 20-game slide.

"I don't worry about Jose Altuve because this guy can hit," manager Bo Porter said, per MLB.com. "Altuve can go 3-for-10 and it may be 1-for-3, 1-for-3, 1-for-4 and everyone will be like, 'What's wrong with Altuve?' Because we are used to him getting two hits per game. We also know he can go 12-for-15. It's all going to even out and at the end of the year, he's going to be near the top of the American League in hits and average."

The White Sox announced Monday second baseman Gordon Beckham was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list following a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. Beckham has been sidelined since mid-April following surgery on his left hand.

Beckham hit .333 (12 for 36) with five RBI and seven runs scored in eight games for Charlotte.

The White Sox are expected to reinstate second baseman Gordon Beckham from the 15-day disabled list Monday, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Beckham played seven games in the majors before getting hurt. He is hitting .333 (12 for 36) with seven runs scored and five RBI in eight minor-league rehab games with Triple-A Charlotte.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura told MLB.com Saturday that second baseman Gordon Beckham could return "in the next week, if not sooner."

"It's up to him, really -- we'll welcome him any time," Ventura said. "It's just, when's the right time, does he feel he's ready to come up and ready to play? .. I let him know that I'm ready for him whenever he thinks he's ready."

Beckham is hitting .343 (11 for 32) with two doubles and four RBI in his rehab assignment. He has played just seven games with the White Sox this season.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve went 1 for 5 with a run, RBI and his ninth stolen base Friday against the Angels.

Altuve has at least one hit in seven of his last eight games, but he's watched his average steadily decline after a hot start to the season. He takes a .300/.341/.390 line into June.