MLB Player News

Astros DH Evan Gattis is not listed in the team's starting lineup for Saturday's game at Oakland. After 11 straight starts at DH, Gattis heads to the bench, replaced at DH by first baseman Chris Carter. 

Marwin Gonzalez gets his third start of the year at first base, batting eighth in the lineup. 

The Astros are +105 money line underdogs at Oakland. 

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu gave the front office and coaching staff a scare Friday when he did a body slam into the infield dirt following a rundown in the third inning. Abreu laid motionless for a few moments after tripping over Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar at second base.

“When he ran down, I think he landed on the foot of the base on his ribs,” manager Robin Ventura said, per ESPN. “It kind of knocked the wind out him, and it was cold. At first I thought it was his wrist or something like that. I think there were a lot of things going on at the same time.”

Ventura added he had "a heart attack" when he saw his star first baseman lying on the ground.

“I'm just glad he's fine. Once he got over that, you could tell he was fine," Ventura said.

Abreu, who stayed in the game, went 2 for 4 before the game was suspended after eight innings due to inclement weather. It is expected to resume Saturday afternoon.

The 2014 AL Rookie of the Year is batting .317 with five home runs and 13 RBI.

With the Angels facing Texas lefthander Wandy Rodriguez on Friday, left fielder Matt Joyce is out of the starting lineup. 

Joyce has faced southpaws in just three of his 52 plate appearances this season. Collin Cowgill gets the start in left, batting seventh in the lineup. C.J. Cron is the DH, batting sixth. 

The Angels are -180 money line favorites against visiting Texas. 

Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun went 1 for 4 with a two-run home run to provide the only offense in his team's 2-0 win over the A's Thursday.

Calhoun's home run, which came in the third inning, was the only hit allowed by Oakland starter Jesse Chavez. The right fielder has hit .271/.314/.542 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 48 at-bats.

Astros first baseman Chris Carter showed signs of coming out of his early-season funk Wednesday, going 2 for 4 with his first home run of the season in his team's 3-2 loss to the Mariners.

"I finally got a couple hits and got the first [homer] out of the way," Carter said after the game, per MLB.com. "In that situation [in the eighth], that's a game-changing situation. I've got to come up with something there instead of striking out."

Carter was just 3 for 42 entering play Tuesday but is 3 for 7 with two walks, one home run and two RBI in his last two games.

"He swung the bat very well today," manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday. "The base hit early in the game, the home run late. He's going to contribute. Obviously, it's going to take a while for things to even out for him. Chris Carter will be a productive player for us."

Carter will look to build on his recent success when the Astros open a three-game series in Oakland against the A's Friday.

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.