MLB Player News

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa told The Washington Post he felt fine after starting his minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Syracuse Thursday.

Espinosa played three innings and finished 1 for 2 with a run and strikeout while batting right-handed in his rehab opener.

"He's a tough guy," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "I don't think these injuries will set him back. I think he just needs to get his timing down and start feeling good about himself from the left and the right side."

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa went 1 for 2 and scored a run for Triple-A Syracuse in the first game of his rehab assignment Thursday before being removed from the game for a defensive replacement.

Espinosa is working his way back from a fractured right wrist and was scheduled to play just three innings in his first rehab appearance.

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa will begin a rehab assignment by playing three innings with Triple-A Syracuse Thursday, the Washington Post reports.

Espinosa, who has resumed baseball activities as expected, is on the disabled list with a fractured right wrist. He could remain in the minors to work on his swing once the rehab assignment officially ends.

The Rangers gave shortstop Elvis Andrus the game off Wednesday against Cleveland, ESPN reports. Jurickson Profar led off and started at short for the Rangers. 

Andrus has struggled over his last five games at the plate. He has gone 4 for 22 (.182) over that stretch with four strikeouts, no extra-base hits and just one RBI. He does have two steals over his last five games and 16 on the year. 

Andrus is batting .254 this year with 22 RBI and 36 runs scored. 

Astros manager Bo Porter shuffled his lineup Tuesday against the Mariners, dropping catcher Jason Castro down to the No. 2 spot, hitting second baseman Jose Altuve third and first baseman Carlos Pena at cleanup.

"Carlos has been swinging the bat well," Porter said, according to the Houston Chronicle. "More so I'm trying to protect Carlos and Castro and putting Altuve in between them so if they want to bring in a lefty they still have to [face] Altuve before they get to Carlos."

In the earlier stages of this past offseason, back before Jedd Gyorko was known to be in the running for the starting second base job, I pegged a little-known Padres infielder named Logan Forsythe as a potential sleeper.

I liked his skill set. True, he probably wouldn't hit more than a dozen homers in a full season, but he'd make consistent contact, draw a high number of walks and collect enough doubles to factor at what figured to be a weak position. He'd be a poor man's Matt Carpenter, basically.

A bout with plantar fasciitis and, of course, Gyorko's emergence quickly ended those thoughts, but now, Gyorko is the one on the DL. And already, Forsythe is making his presence known, going 2 for 2 with a homer and a walk in his first start Monday against the Braves.

He has no chance of keeping the job when Gyorko returns, but if you need just a short-term replacement for Gyorko in Fantasy, you don't have to get too creative to find one.

Padres infielder Logan Forsythe came off the disabled list in style Monday against the Braves, going 2 for 2 with a home run and a walk in a 7-6 win.

Forsythe, who was on the DL with plantar fasciitis, was playing in his first game of the season.

Padres infielder Logan Forsythe was activated from the 60-day disabled list and placed in the starting lineup Monday against the Braves. Forsythe has been out all season due to plantar fasciitis, but he appeared in eight games on his rehab assignment, batting .360 for Triple-A Tucson.

Jedd Gyorko is expected to be placed on the disabled list to make room for Forythe on the active roster. 

The Mariners gave rookie second baseman Nick Franklin a rest Monday against Houston. Franklin went 0 for 4 Sunday against the Yankees. 

Franklin has seen 44 at-bats for his career to this point. He's gone 11 for 44 (.250) with two home runs and three RBI. The two homers came in the same game. He's gone 4 for 20 (.200) over his last five contests.

Mariners rookie second baseman Nick Franklin moved into the second spot in the lineup Sunday against the Yankees for the first time in his career. Franklin is batting .275 (11 for 40) with a .500 slugging percentage in 12 games.

"I’ve been debating about it," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said about batting Franklin second, per The Seattle Times. "We’re thin as it is and he’s been putting together as good at-bats as anybody. He’s not shy, so I think that probably works for him. I’m trying to put the best lineup out there."