MLB Player News

Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa made his first career start at third base during Saturday's spring game against the Marlins, according to MLB.com. He never started at third base in the minors.

"My thought on it was, 'Hey, if we get in the situation where you have to play it, I just want you to have experience there,'" Williams said. "He's got great hands, great feet, plenty of arm, we all know that. It's a question of him getting used to the position a little bit in case it comes up during the season and he's got to do it. Right now, it gives him the opportunity to get out there in a non-pressure type situation and play."

Espinosa had been working at third base during workouts and made his first appearance at the hot corner Thursday against the Tigers, when he shifted over from second base in the ninth inning and played two innings at third.

"I'm going to treat it like any defense in the game, catch the ball and throw it over there," Espinosa said. "Ball comes off the bat a little different, so more of a reactionary position instead of being able to read your hop at short and second and kind of picking your hop. At third base, it's kind of do-or-die."

Angels infielder Johnny Giavotella went for X-rays on Saturday after jamming his finger sliding into third base during Friday's spring game against the Indians, per The Orange County Register. X-rays were negative and he is considered day to day.

Giavotella is batting .280 (7 for 25) with one triple, three doubles, one home run, three RBI and seven runs in 14 spring games.

White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham made one slight adjustment to his swing Wednesday, leading to great results. Beckham hit one home run and two doubles in the game and credits the success to his hard work on days off, reports MLB.com.

"I've been working pretty hard, and the other day I started working on something that gave me a little bit better feel," said Beckham. "It clearly worked out."

Beckham went just 1 for 27 to start spring training.

"I didn't feel like it was bad," Beckham said. "I'm putting the ball in play. Before today it wasn't necessarily hard-hit all the time, but I was putting the ball in play and working on some different things -- and not panicking because the results aren't there. That's the name of the game. Maybe in years past I would have done that."

Rays manager Kevin Cash doesn't appear ready to name a starting shortstop, as he said Tuesday he likes "all the guys we have" competing for the job. However, it appears Asdrubal Cabrera and Nick Franklin are the favorites over Tim Beckham, per MLB.com.

"[The candidates are] still kind of bouncing back and forth," Cash said. "But we want the guy who is going to make the routine play. And not to say that anybody's not doing that, [it] seems like they're all doing that. Cabby just has the experience factor with making that play."

Cash said a decision on who will be the starting shortstop could be made next week.

The Mets have reassigned infielders Dilson Herrera and Wilfredo Tovar down to minor-league camp on Tuesday, per ESPN.

Herrera hit .220 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 59 at-bats last season with the Mets. He had just one hit in 17 at-bats for the Mets in Grapefruit League play. Tovar hit .286 with three walks in spring-training games.

Enrique Hernandez of the Dodgers is giving new meaning to the term utility man, this spring. 

Just seven games into spring training, Hernandez started at his fourth different position on Tuesday. Hernandez has already seen time at second base, third base and shortstop. On Tuesday, he started in center field. 

In addition to those four spots, Heranndez also played left and right field last season. 

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa decided this offseason to hit exclusively from the right side. The former switch hitter hasn't had much success this spring, going 0 for 5. But manager Matt Williams isn't concerned about Espinosa just yet, reports MLB.com.

"His timing isn't quite there yet, but that is to be expected," Williams said. "The good thing I see is him taking balls out of the strike zone. He is not swinging at a lot of them that are down below the zone or up. He has a good knowledge of it. The timing will come. He'll get better as we go. So far, so good."

Rays infielder Nick Franklin, who is competing for the starting shortstop job, returned to the starting lineup Monday against the Yankees after leaving Saturday's spring game due to a hip strain. Franklin started at shortstop and hit leadoff Monday.

Rays infielder Nick Franklin left Saturday's game with a hip strain. The injury wasn't believed to be serious, but he'll be held out on Sunday as well. The team told the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin that Franklin is expected back on Monday. 

"Everything is good," Franklin told MLB.com's Bill Chastain. "I took everything as normal today. I didn't feel any discomfort, so I should be ready whenever."

Rays second baseman Nick Franklin was forced out of Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates with a mild left hip strain, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Franklin went 0 for 2 with a strikeout before before he was replaced by Ryan Brett in the bottom of the fourth inning. The team notified reporters that Franklin's injury is not considered to be serious, but did not reveal whether he would play on Sunday.