MLB Player News

Astros rookie shortstop Carlos Correa maintained his hot-hitting ways on Saturday. The youngster fell a triple-shy of the cycle, as he went 3 for 5 with a double, a home run, two RBI and a run scored. However, the Astros were defeated by the Yankees 9-6.

Correa blasted a two-run home run, his fifth of the season already, to cut the Yankees' lead to 6-5. 

"It's really fun playing with that guy," second baseman Jose Altuve said, per MLB.com. "Great hitter, great defender. It's great to play up the middle with him. He was so excited for that home run."

Remarkably, Correa has been held hitless in just four of the first 18 games of his young career. 

Angels shortstop Erick Aybar is out of the lineup for Saturday's game. 

Aybar left Friday's game with hamstring tightness. It wasn't believed to be serious, but he'll be replaced on Saturday by Taylor Featherston. It's Featherston's third start of the year and first since June 18. 

Indians prized rookie shortstop Francisco Lindor got his first chance to trot around the bases in the big leagues Wednesday, helping his team finally beat the Tigers with a solo home run in the fifth inning.

Lindor, who hit three line-drive outs Tuesday against Detroit, nailed one so nobody could reach it. He lined it over the right field wall. He also singled, and walked twice, including one that provided another RBI.

He raised his average from .206 to .243 with the performance and shot his on-base percentage up from .200 to .275.

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts has vastly improved at the plate with runners in scoring position. After batting .153 with 29 RBI in those situations last season, he is batting .357 with 27 RBI with runners in scoring position this season.

Hitting coach Chili Davis credits Bogaerts' turnaround to a more aggressive approach, according to The Providence Journal.

"When he sees his pitch, he knows what to do with it," Davis said. "Usually with runners in scoring position, most pitchers are either going to want to get ahead to use their secondary pitches, or they're going to try to tease you with their secondary pitches to see if you'll chase.

"If they try to tease you with secondary pitches and you don’t offer, all they're doing is digging a hole, and they're going to have to throw you a pitch to hit. But if you go up there ready to swing at your pitch and they're trying to get ahead and you get that pitch, go ahead and jump on it. Be aggressive but be smart aggressive."

On Tuesday, Astros rookie shortstop Carlos Correa became the 10th 20-year-old to hit at least four home runs in his first 15 MLB games, joining the likes of Ted Williams, Frank Robinson and Orlando Cepeda, according to GetSportsInfo.com.

"Well, he's not a secret anymore," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of his shortstop, per MLB.com. "He's a good player, very comfortable up here. He's not timid at all. He's doing a lot of things right early and gaining a lot of confidence at this level."

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft is batting .308 with five doubles, 11 RBI, 10 runs and four stolen bases.

"The last player I've seen with that kind of confidence and charisma at that age was Trouty," said Astros catcher Hank Conger, who played alongside Angels outfielder Mike Trout for three years. "Those guys don't get frustrated about anything on the field. They just keep playing."

Astros shortstop Carlos Correa smacked his fourth home run of the season to help lead the Astros to a 13-3 win over the Angels on Tuesday.

Correa went 3 for 6 at the plate and drove in four runs during the contest. His biggest hit came in the second inning when he hit a three-run home run off C.J. Wilson. He also scored three runs.

Prior to his three-hit game Tuesday, Correa was hitting .150 with no home runs or RBI in his last five games.

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts recorded three hits in Sunday's blowout win over the Royals.

Bogaerts went 3 for 5 with three doubles and three RBI. 

Bogaerts is hitting .307 with eight hits, three doubles and six RBI over his last six games.

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts has been given a rest for the game Saturday in Kansas City after 19 straight starts at that position. Brock Holt will man it instead.

Bogaerts has been solid and consistent since a late-May swoon. He has hit safely in 16 of his last 19 games to maintain a respectable slash line of .285/.324/.387.

Super rookie Carlos Correa has shown all five of his tools in his brief time with the Astros since his promotion. But one of them really stood out Thursday night. That is, his speed.

Correa quadrupled his stolen base output on the year by swiping three in a defeat of Colorado. He swiped third in the third inning, second in the fifth and third in the seventh.

He also doubled, walked and scored twice.

Angels rookie shortstop Taylor Featherston slammed his first career home run in Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Featherston went 1 for 4 with a solo shot to left center field in the top of the third inning.

His performance on Thursday ended a four-game hitless streak.