MLB Player News

Though he has slowed down in recent games, Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe has made the most of his increased playing time.

Forsythe has just two hits in his last 15 at-bats, but that dry spell followed a period of five consecutive multi-hit games in which he batted .529 with two home runs, six RBI and five runs. Forsythe still has work to do to strengthen his stat line, which stands at a mediocre .243/.295/.345.

The White Sox are willing to trade second baseman Gordon Beckham in the right deal, FOX Sports 1 reports.

Beckham is just 2 for 20 in July after hitting .235/.307/.412 with three home runs in 102 June at-bats. He owns a .248/.302/.395 line with seven home runs and 24 RBI in 258 at-bats. He's scheduled to reach free agency at the end of next season.

On Sunday, Major League Baseball revealed the American League reserves for the 2014 All-Star Game, which will be held on July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis.

The following players were selected as reserves:

C Salvador Perez, Royals
C Derek Norris, Athletics
C Kurt Suzuki, Twins
1B Jose Abreu, White Sox
1B Victor Martinez, Tigers
1B Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays
1B/OF Brandon Moss, Athletics
2B Jose Altuve, Astros
SS Alexei Ramirez, White Sox
3B Adrian Beltre, Rangers
OF Yoenis Cespedes, Athletics
OF Alex Gordon, Royals
OF Michael Brantley, Indians

With his demotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Thursday, it's probably safe to drop Yangeris Solarte in all but the deepest of mixed leagues. Probably.

The reason I hedge is because I have my suspicions he'll be up playing regularly again for the Yankees this year.

Part of it is because he meets their need. Even if prospect Rob Refsnyder comes up and solidifies them at second base -- which is far from assured -- Kelly Johnson doesn't appear to have anything left at third base, having performed this season much like Solarte did in his last 37 games, or basically half the season so far.

And how did Solarte perform during that stretch that ultimately led to his demotion? Well, he didn't hit his best, batting .187 (23 for 123), but much of the damage came in his last 14 games, when he batted only .073 (3 for 41). Before then, he was hitting .299 with an .826 OPS, which are numbers any team would take from a second or third baseman.

One thing that never changed for Solarte was how infrequently he strikes out. A player who puts the ball in play seven out of every eight at-bats while demonstrating the extra-base pop he did will hit for average in the majors. I'm guessing he earns another opportunity within a month.

The Yankees announced Thursday they optioned infielder Yangervis Solarte to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. After opening the season with a .336/.414/.521/.935 slash line in his first 34 games, Solarte posted a .187/.270/.268/.538 slash line in his last 37 games.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Mariners. Altuve was dealing with a swollen left elbow following Monday's game.

Altuve is batting .463 (31 for 67) with a .500 on-base percentage, .552 slugging percentage and 1.052 OPS in his last 17 games. He has 14 stolen bases in that span.

As expected, the Astros promoted outfielder Domingo Santana, infielder Enrique Hernandez and ptcher Kevin Chapman from Triple-A Oklahoma City Tuesday. All three players will be in uniform against the Mariners.

Rays infielder Logan Forsythe delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the 12th inning Monday, sending Tampa Bay to a 4-3 win. He finished 2 for 5 with one walk and one strikeout.

Forsythe recorded his third straight multi-hit game and his sixth in his last 10 appearances. He is batting .457 (16 for 35) with one triple, two home runs, five RBI and five runs in his last 10 games. Forsythe hit his two homers over the weekend, as he homered in consecutive games Saturday and Sunday.

The Astros will promote infielder Enrique Hernandez and left-handed reliever Kevin Chapman from Triple-A Oklahoma City Tuesday, a source told MLB.com. 

Hernandez is batting .337 with a .380 on-base percentage, .506 slugging percentage and .887 OPS in 67 games at Triple-A. He has two triples, eight home runs, 17 doubles and 31 RBI.

Chapman is 1-1 with a 0.94 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 26 relief appearances for Oklahoma City. He also has two saves and 37 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve went 0 for 3 with a stolen bases in his team's 10-4 loss to the Mariners Monday.

Altuve was dealing with a swollen left elbow after the game, but he said the injury won't keep him from playing Tuesday, MLB.com reports. His stolen base gives him a steal in a franchise-record seven straight games. Altuve has hit .344/.385/.448 with two home runs, 26 RBI and 37 stolen bases in 337 at-bats.