MLB Player News

If Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa would just take three weeks off to rest, his fractured right wrist would fully heal and he would be back to playing at 100 percent. For Espinosa, there was no question what decision needed to be made.

"I don’t have three weeks to sit," Espinosa told The Washington Post Wednesday, as he returned to the lineup after just five days off. Espinosa knows he is going to have to play through some discomfort, but isn't willing to sacrifice the time it would take at this point.

"I thought if it was another week that would have been real productive, I probably would have taken one week," Espinosa said. "But it's not going to be one week. It’s going to be a good amount of time to get it recovered. I feel better. I don’t have the amount of pain I had."

Espinosa is playing with a torn left rotator cuff as well, and is hitting .163 with a .487 OPS so far. But he insists neither injury is an excuse for his poor hitting. 

The Rangers will bat Elvis Andrus leadoff on a regular basis with Ian Kinsler on the disabled list and missing even more time, FOX Sports reports. 

Andrus is batting .271 on the year. He recently had a 5 for 5 game and has hit in five of his last six contests. He's also stolen 13 bases with 33 runs scored. 

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa is back in the lineup and on the field Wednesday against the Orioles, after missing five games due to bone chips in his right wrist.

Espinosa is batting ninth and playing second base in the game. 

White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham is expected to resume his minor-league rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A Charlotte, MLB.com reports.

Beckham, recovering from an injured hand, began his rehab assignment last Thursday. He felt soreness in the hand and was forced to back off, but he appears ready to go. If he doesn't reaggravate the injury, he should return in early June.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge said prospect Nick Franklin will get his first major-league start Tuesday against the Padres, MLB.com reports. 

Franklin will start at second base and bat seventh. Franklin was called up Monday and walked in his only plate appearance against the Padres.

Franklin began the season as the No. 47 prospect in the majors, according to MLB.com. He had a .324 average and .472 slugging percentage with four homers and seven steals over 39 games at Triple-A Tacoma. 

The swelling in Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa's wrist has subsided enough he might be available to pinch-hit Tuesday against the Orioles. Espinosa will take full batting practice and field grounders before the game and could make his return to the starting lineup as early as Wednesday. 

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa missed his fifth game in a row Tuesday against the Orioles, as he continues to deal with bone chips in his right wrist.

The team continues to aim for Wednesday or Thursday as a possible return date for Espinosa. 

On Monday, the Mariners promoted prospect Nick Franklin from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Dustin Ackley at second base, which can only be an improvement for Fantasy owners. Of course, by the time the Mariners made the switch, most had already given up on Ackley, his ownership rate dropping to about 40 percent.

So then, how many owners will actually benefit form this move?

Franklin is a legit prospect, but at age 22, he's hardly a finished product. His numbers at Tacoma, while impressive in terms of contact rate and plate discipline, were lacking in other areas. Four home runs in 142 at-bats are just par for the course in the heavy-hitting Pacific Coast League and especially disappointing for a player whose home run totals were lacking each of the last two seasons.

Naturally, if you need a shortstop or second baseman -- and many teams do -- Franklin is well worth your while, but if not, I'm thinking he's unlikely to perform well enough to establish much trade value. I'm expecting more along the lines of a Neil Walker than an Ian Kinsler.

White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham will resume his minor-league rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Charlotte after he was shut down due to discomfort in his left wrist, MLB.com reports.

Beckham has been sidelined since April 9. He was hitting .316/.333/.316 in 19 at-bats before landing on the disabled list.

The Nationals are waiting to see how shortstop Danny Espinosa responds to batting practice Monday, but the team has already ruled out a surgical repair for the bone chips in his right wrist.

Espinosa is going to either have to play through pain or hit the disabled list for extended rest, depending on how the injury responds over the next few days. The team plans on having him increase his workload in the coming days to test it out.

"We've already tried a couple times to rest it and get him back," team doctor Wiemi Douoguih told reporters. "If it flares up again, we're going to have to have a more extended period of rest. This is not like a surgical issue. This is something that needs rest."