MLB Player News

White Sox slugger Jose Abreu has been tearing it up since arriving in the bigs to start the 2014 season. But he has really battered the Indians.

Abreu smashed his eighth home against Cleveland in just over a year Wednesday. He clobbered a blast to the opposite field against ace Corey Kluber in the first inning.

He wasn't done. He almost went yard again in the seventh and had to settle for a two-run double to left that knocked out Kluber.

Abreu has three home runs in his last five games, during which time he is 9-for-21 with 10 RBI.

Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is back in the lineup in his familiar third spot Wednesday against the Red Sox. He was benched Tuesday in the midst of a slump.

Cabrera has just two hits in his last eight games to weaken his slash line to .189/.218/.245.

The Indians have yet to hit a home run this season with a man on base, but at least first baseman Carlos Santana is contributing solo shots lately.

Santana slugged his second homer in three games to help his team defeat the White Sox. He ripped one off Hector Noesi in the second inning and added a walk and leads the team with three blasts.

The switch-hitter has been the Indians' steadiest regular this season, which isn't saying much. He has hit safely in all but four games and boasts a slash line of .229/.339/.438.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu connected on his fourth home run of the season during Tuesday's loss to the Indians.

Abreu hit the solo shot off Carlos Carrasco during the first inning of the game. Abreu added another RBI in the eighth inning when he singled in Adam Eaton. He finished the game with two hits over four at-bats. He is now batting .275 with nine RBI and six runs scored in 13 games.

Abreu will face Indians starter Corey Kluber in Wednesday's matchup. Abreu is a career .353 hitter off Kluber in 17 at-bats with one home run and three RBI.

Angels designated hitter C.J. Cron cannot be considered hot, but he is certainly not as cold as he was to start the season.

Cron continued his mini-surge with two hits and two runs scored Tuesday in a lopsided defeat of Oakland. He is 6-for-23 after starting the season hitless in 11 at-bats.

His double in the sixth inning against the Athletics kicked off a six-run explosion.

A lousy batting average can turn into a fine one in one game this time of the season. It certainly happened for Angels leadoff hitter Kole Calhoun on Tuesday night in Oakland.

His average soared from .222 to .293, courtesy of a solo home run in the seventh inning and three singles for his first four-hit game since July 10.

Calhoun singled in the first and singled and scored in the second and sixth innings before adding the finishing touches to his evening with the blast. He has scored eight runs in his last seven games.

After batting third every game this season, slumping Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is absent from the Tuesday lineup against visiting Boston.

Cabrera opened the year with eight hits in 25 at-bats, but is 2 for 27 over the last seven games and has no extra-base hits since April 11.

Tim Beckham is starting at short instead.

With the recent struggles of Chris Carter, the Astros will start Marwin Gonzalez at first base and bat him seventh on Monday in Seattle. 

This is the third start of the year for Gonzalez, second at first base. 

In 10 at-bats this season, Gonzalez is 3 for 10 with a homer and a double.

Carter has begun the year 3 for 40 (.075 avg.) with no extra-base hits and has struck out 17 times.

"He's frustrated to the extent no one likes to get outs, but we're still at the very early stages, and he's done this before and come out of it," manager A.J. Hinch said, per MLB.com. "We believe he's going to be fine."

Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera went just 2 for 27 with one walk and one RBI in seven games over the second week of the season.

Cabrera has been locked into the No. 3 spot in the batting order, but he'll likely need to start picking things up with the bat in order to stay in such a potentially productive position. He has hit just .192/.222/.250 in 52 at-bats.

Astros first baseman Chris Carter has struggled heavily during the first two weeks of the season, going 3 for 40 with no extra-base hits and striking out 17 times.

Carter has drawn four walks and scored one run but has managed just a .075/.159/.075 line. The righty slugger, who is prone to hitless stretches, could be on the verge of turning things around offensively, as the Astros are scheduled to face three lefty starters in a four-game span starting Wednesday. He has hit much better against lefties in 2014, posting a .244/.350/.519 line with 10 home runs in 135 at-bats.

Carter has also delivered quality career numbers at Safeco Field, where he's opening a three-game series Monday. The first baseman has hit .284/.370/.547 with seven home runs and 18 RBI in 95 at-bats against the Mariners on the road.