MLB Player News

Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella went 2 for 4 with a two-run home run in his team's 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Rays on Wednesday.

Giavotella was able to increase his team's lead to 4-0 with his two-run shot in the fourth inning, but the Rays stormed back with five runs in the sixth. The second baseman has recorded a hit in five straight games, going 8 for 18 during that stretch. He has hit .285/.337/.382 with two home runs and 19 RBI in 165 at-bats.

Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe got the scoring started in Tuesday's 6-1 victory over the Angels. Forsythe blasted a two-run home run in the top of the first inning off C.J. Wilson to put the Rays up 2-0 early. It was Forsythe's sixth home run of the season.

Forsythe, who also walked and scored in the game, has been seeing regular playing this season and is enjoying it. Over his last 10 games, he's batting .265 (9 for 34) with two home runs and six RBI. 

Rays infielder Logan Forsythe homered during a 6-1 win Tuesday against the Angels. He also walked twice and totaled two runs.

Forsythe wasted little time connecting for his sixth home run, as he parked a two-out, two-run homer off C.J. Wilson in the first inning. He has hit four home runs in his last 21 games.

Since April 28, Forsythe has a .302/.500/.879 slash line in 32 games. He also has one triple, four home runs, nine doubles and 14 RBI in that span.

After getting two hits in his season debut May 17, the hits dried up for Rays infielder Nick Franklin, who entered play Monday mired in a 0-for-24 slump. Although the Rays lost 7-3 to the Angels, Franklin had some personal success, ending his slide with a two-run homer.

"It was a big hit for him, it was a big hit for us at the time, especially against [Garrett Richards]," Rays manager Kevin Cash said, per MLB.com.

Franklin said after the game he has been working on fixing his swing, particularly with his hand placement.

"I've been working on it the last two days, I just made that adjustment," Franklin said. "As of right now, I think it's working. I like where I'm at with it. And I'm just going to continue doing it.

"It takes about two weeks to break a bad habit. You know it's early for me, personally. ... Technically, I just really started with the ABs. I think it's just going to take a little time and I'll get it."

Rays infielder Nick Franklin took his third hit of the season for a home run in Monday night's 7-3 loss to the Angels. 

Franklin hit a two-run shot in the fourth inning for his first homer of the season. Franklin, appearing in just his 12th game of the year, is hitting just .091 this season. He hadn't recorded a hit since May 17. 

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve went 1 for 4 in Sunday's 6-0 loss to the White Sox to close May with a season-long batting average under .300.

Altuve was outstanding in April, racking up 36 hits in 98 at-bats, but couldn't keep things going in May, finishing the month with a .231/.294/.343 line along with three homers and nine RBI in 108 at-bats. The cold spell has dropped the second baseman's line to .296/.344/.417 entering June. He also has five home runs, 25 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 206 at-bats.

Rays first baseman Logan Forsythe went 2 for 4 with a double, a walk, an RBI and two runs scored in his team's 9-5 win over the Orioles on Sunday.

Forsythe has been great at the plate this season but was hitless in seven at-bats in his previous two games of the series before coming through on Sunday. He was able to put his team up for good with his RBI single in the fifth inning, which was immediately followed by a three-run homer courtesy of the next batter.

Forsythe has hit .291/.369/.465 with five home runs and 22 RBI in 172 at-bats.

Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella went 2 for 4 with two RBI in his team's 4-2 win over the Tigers on Sunday.

"Johnny went through a little soft spell a couple weeks ago, but he seems like he's getting big hit after big hit for us," manager Mike Scioscia said to MLB.com. "He stays within himself, a little contact hitter and puts the ball in play. He's gotten some big hits for us, no doubt."

The multi-hit performance was Giavotella's third in his last seven games -- he's hitting .375 with two RBI in that span.

Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien is batting eight in Sunday's matchup with the Yankees.

Semien has become a mainstay atop the lineup, and Sunday's game will be his first batting anything but second since May 11. While the shortstop has struggled a bit in the second half of May, he is 5 for 15 over his last four games. The A's will go with second baseman Ben Zobrist in the No. 2 spot on Sunday after initially batting him third since his return from the disabled list.

The A's are favorites (-128) at home on Sunday, per VegasInsider.com.

White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in Friday's win over Houston. 

Beckham remained in the game and went 1 for 2, with a solo home run. The homer was Beckham's third, and the two RBI gave him 13 on the year.