MLB Player News

For the first time this season, Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed will bat in the leadoff spot for Thursday's game at Colorado, the team announed. 

Ahmed had been hitting eighth or ninth this season. He will go against Jorge De La Rosa, who he has never faced in his career. Over his last 12 games, Ahmed is hitting .333 with one home run and five RBI.

The Diamondbacks are the underdogs (+112) at Colorado on Thursday.

The Mets have begun discussions about shifting Ruben Tejada to shortstop and Wilmer Flores to second base once Daniel Murphy returns from the disabled list, a team source told the New York Post. Murphy is expected to play third base with David Wright sidelined.

“That would be the best defensive alignment,” the source said.

The Mets have been hesitant to move Flores because they don't want to break his confidence, according to the Post. However, the team believes he could handle the switch and move back to shortstop later in the season, if needed.

Mets manager Terry Collins ackowledged the report Thursday and said moving Flores to second base is "a possibility." 

"I don't think that's a major shakeup," Collins said, per NJ.com.

Tejada has been bouncing between second and third base while Murphy and Wright have been on the disabled list.

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.

Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's los to Colorado. 

Ahmed hit his first home run in June, snapping a 20-game drought. He reached four home runs and 15 RBI on the year. 

The Nationals are looking to bolster their infield by trading with the Diamondbacks, according to a report by Fox Sports' Jon Morosi.

The Nationals have reportedly expressed interest in the D-Backs' middle infield depth. 

Among the infielders vying for playing time in Arizona are Nick Ahmed, Aaron Hill, Chris Owings and Cliff Pennington. 

Owings (50 starts at second base) and Ahmed (53 at short) are the clearly defined starters for the Diamondabacks. 

At 33, Hill is the oldest of the four infielders. He's started 15 games at second and 19 at third, including starts at each position in the last week. 

Pennington has 10 starts at short, one at third and four at second. He's hitting just .192 this season. 

Braves infielder Pedro Ciriaco came through with the game's only run in Sunday's 1-0 win over the Mets. Ciriaco came off the bench in the seventh inning with a runner on second. 

The light-hitting Ciriaco blooped a single into center field, allowing the only run to cross the plate.

Despite getting limited playing time, Ciriaco has been invaluable for the Braves this year. He's hitting .474 (9 for 19) with six RBI through 10 games this month.

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.