MLB Player News

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was back in the leadoff spot for the first time in seven games Sunday against the Mariners. Altuve is batting .323 with a .375 on-base percentage in the leadoff spot, which is better than the likes of leadoff hitters Jacoby Ellsbury and Ian Kinsler.

"I actually wish I could hit him one through nine, but they won't let me do that," manager Bo Porter joked, per MLB.com. "He's going to hit one or two. It all depends on who else is in the lineup. A lot of time it has to do with the other eight guys as to where he'll hit."

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham returned to action Friday night against the Braves.

Beckham, who missed Sunday's game before the All-Star break, went 1 for 4 with a single in a 6-4 defeat. He is hitting .333 with two homers and 13 RBI in 162 at-bats.

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham is back in the lineup Friday against Atlanta, the club announced. 

Beckham missed Sunday's first-half finale with a bruised quadriceps. He is hitting .335/.357/.443 on the season and has five stolen bases in 44 games. 

The Royals optioned second baseman Johnny Giavotella to Triple-A Omaha Thursday. He is likely to be replaced by infielder Chris Getz, who is expected to be recalled Friday.

Giavotella has hit .206/.289/.265 with four RBI in 34 at-bats.

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham has been impressive with his limited opportunities, but there's still some reason for concern.

Beckham is showing minor improvements, but there's nothing in his stat profile that suggests he's figured things out. His strong .335/.357/.443 slash line has been propped up by an unsustainable .383 BABIP. His less-than-ideal walk rate has also taken a step backward, and now sits at 3.6 percent.

There are some reasons to believe he's improved, but they are minor. Beckham has utilized a different stance at the plate, and it seems to have helped in some areas. Beckham has made slightly more contact than usual, and has cut down on his swinging strikes, but neither area has improved much. The biggest benefit he's seen so far is a reduced infield flyball rate. Over his career, Beckham has popped the ball up 14.2 percent of the time. That's dropped to just 4 percent in 2013. 

Even with the small improvements, Beckham is likely to see some significant regression once his BABIP drops. And since his new approach hasn't led to a power increase, his average is really the only thing keeping him Fantasy-relevant. He would be a sell-high if another owner would actually take him. 

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham is likely going to miss the final game of the first half of the season Sunday against Philadelphia, MLB.com reports. Beckham left Saturday's loss with a left quad bruise.

Injured in the 12th inning, Beckham briefly stayed in the game but was ultmately removed.

"Just one of those Charley horse type things," manager Robin Ventura said. "He got a knee on the side. Everybody is on board for [Sunday]. He's probably out of there."

The second baseman is hitting .335 this season over 158 at-bats. He snapped an eight-game hitting streak by going 0 for 5 Saturday, but has still gone 14 for 37 (.378) over his last nine games with four RBI.

Mariners infielder Nick Franklin was back in action Saturday night against the Angels after missing two games with a knee injury.

Franklin reached base on a walk and finished 0 for 3 in a 6-0 win. He is hitting .270/.327/.454 in 152 at-bats.

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham was forced out of Saturday 13-inning marathon in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Phillies Saturday night with a left quad contusion.

Beckham left the game shortly after a collision in foul territory in right field. He finished 0 for 5 in a 2-1 defeat and is doubtful for Sunday's game, according to Comcast SportsNet Chicago. He is hitting .335/.357/.443 with two homers and 13 RBI in 158 at-bats.

Mariners infielder Nick Franklin returned to the starting lineup Saturday night against the Angels after sitting two games with a sore knee. Franklin is hitting .275/.329/.463 in 149 at-bats.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was extended by the club four four years and $12.5 million. The deal includes two option years at $6 million and $6.5 million, respectively. The 23-year-old is batting .280 with three home runs, 28 RBI with 21 stolen bases over 86 games.