MLB Player News

When minor-league journeyman Yangervis Solarte hit .458 (11 for 24) over his first seven games with the Yankees, it was a nice story and all, but it didn't send me rushing to the waiver wire in Fantasy. His minor-league track record suggested it wouldn't last, and besides, he was only filling in because of injury.

But now, everyone on the Yankees infield is healthy, and yet Solarte has still started 10 of the team's last 11 games.

He's kept it up at the plate as well, batting .450 (9 for 20) with a double and a home run in his last six games. It's caused me take a second look at his numbers, which are awfully impressive for the season as a whole. His 15 walks to only 15 strikeouts have me thinking his .315 batting average isn't too far-fetched, and with all the doubles he's piled up, he has a more-than-respectable .463 slugging percentage.

We've seen this before, you know -- a versatile defender whose high contact rate makes him a perennial .300 hitter with enough extra-base pop to factor in all formats. Yes, Solarte might just be the second coming of Martin Prado, right down to the unspectacular minor-league track record.

If nothing else, as long as he's playing every day, he's worth owning just for the quadruple eligibility.

Yankees third baseman Yangervis Solarte contributed a sac fly and RBI single during a 6-5 loss Sunday against the Brewers. He also had one walk.

Solarte has hit safely in six straight games. He is batting .450 (9 for 20) with one double, one home run and seven RBI during his hitting streak.

Royals second baseman Johnny Giavotella smashed a three-run, seventh-inning homer that lifted Kansas City to a 9-7 win over the Mariners on Sunday. It was Giavotella's first homer since being called up last week, and it traveled 393 feet.

Giavotella went 1 for 3 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBI and has upped his average to .214.

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 4-3 loss to the A's Saturday.

Espinosa kicked off the scoring with his third-inning home run, and after the Nationals scored two more runs in the inning, they were held scoreless the rest of the way before losing the game in 10 innings. Espinosa has flashed a little power with his increased playing time, hitting .250/.293/.454 with five home runs, nine RBI and four stolen bases in 108 at-bats.

Yankees infielder Yangervis Solarte hit his second home run Friday against the Brewers.

Solarte collected just one hit during the game, but made it count. With two men on in the top of the fourth, Solarte hit a home run on a first-pitch slider from Yovani Gallardo. He finished the day 1 for 4, with one run scored and three RBI.

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus clubbed four hits Friday against the Red Sox.

Andrus got things started early, reaching in his first four at-bats. He singled his first three times up, and doubled in his fourth at-bat. Andrus made his first out of the game in the bottom of the eighth, striking out against Craig Breslow.

He finished 4 for 5, with three runs scored and no RBI.

The Royals recalled infielder Johnny Giavotella from Triple-A Omaha Friday, using the roster spot cleared by Michael Mariot's option to Omaha.

Mariot had a 5.91 ERA in 10 2/3 innings for the Royals.  

Heading into Friday's game at Milwaukee, Yankees infielder Yangervis Solarte has managed two-hit games in his last two appearances. He is also batting .313 (10 for 32) with three doubles, four runs, six RBI, six walks and three strikeouts in his last nine games.

However, it's been 13 games since Solarte hit his only home run of the season April 17 against the Rays. He is hitting .306 through 28 games, but is slugging just .439.

 White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham homered in his second straight game Wednesday, an 8-3 win over the Cubs.

Beckham, who went 11 games before hitting his first, clubbed his second in the fourth inning of Wednesday's game. He drove in three runs in the game, while finishing 1 for 5 in the win.

Beckham is hitting just .231/.273/.385, but had been below .200 prior to Tuesday's four-hit effort. 

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham broke a 1-all tie in the eighth inning Monday against the Cubs with a solo home run off Neil Ramirez, which propelled Chicago to a 5-1 win. Beckham had a season-high four hits in five at-bats and scored twice.

Beckham entered play Tuesday sporting a .167 average (7 for 42) in his first 11 games. He also homered for the first time this season in the win.

"Great night, completely blessed to have it and definitely comes at a good time. Good win," Beckham said, per MLB.com. "I got a better feel today. I mean, it was bound to happen. I was bound to get more than, do better than like 1-for-6 or so. It was one of those things. I've kind of been here before, so just had a good game. Glad I happened to do it."