MLB Player News

Mets infielder Ruben Tejada will get the bulk of the playing time at short, according to ESPN.

The club called up Wilmer Flores recently, and he was expected to see playing time at the position. That could change, as Flores may start platooning at second base. Tejada has hit .192 over 104 at-bats.

After a second opinion, Padres infielder Ryan Jackson has not improved as quickly as anticipated, which could cause him to opt for surgery, U-T San Diego reports. If he undergoes surgery on his right wrist, he would likely miss a good portion of the minor-league season.

Shortstop stinks. I get it.

But haven't we been through this once before with Brandon Crawford? The hot start? The wishful thinking? The foolishness to entertain the notion that he might be more than just a defensive whiz?

It would be so, so, so, so helpful if that was the case. But as we learned last year, it probably isn't.

With his home run Wednesday, Crawford now has five to go along with a .258 batting average. Through May 14 last year, he had five to go along with a .271 batting average only to hit four with a .240 batting average over the final three-fourths of the season. The worst part was nobody made a move for him until after he hit that fifth home run, so they missed out on the one part of the year when he had something to offer, banking only the regression to the mean. I fear that's happening all over agian.

It's one thing if you invested everything in Brad Miller in a deeper league and are just hoping to get something, anything out of the shortstop position until he bounces back, but if you pass up on a Jonathan Villar or Asdrubal Cabrera type for Crawford, you'll probably regret it.

Shortstop Brandon Crawford continues to be a surprise source of run production for the Giants, as he drove in three more runs in a 10-4 win over the Braves.

Crawford hit his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the eighth inning. That came after his RBI single in the first inning, ad he finished with three RBI while going 3 for 5 with two runs scored.

Crawford is already at 20 RBI on the season, nearly halfway to his career-high total of 45. He is hitting .258/.342/.461 in 128 at-bats.  

With second baseman Omar Infante going on the DL, the Royals called up infielder Pedro Ciriaco from Triple-A Omaha. He's appeared in one game for the Royals this year.

Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada came into Sunday's game against the Phillies mired in a terrible offensive slump to begin May. For one day, however, he put an end to his offensive woes, knocking in the winning run with a walk-off single in the 11th inning of a 5-4 win Sunday.

Tejada finished 2 for 4 with one double and two walks. He came into the game 0 for 15 in his first six May games.

"It feels pretty good after a rough week for me and the team," said Tejada, who recently lost his starting job at shortstop.

Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon continued to excel out of the leadoff spot Saturday, going 2 for 3 with one walk, two runs, one RBI and three stolen bases in his team's 6-2 win over the Giants.

Gordon reached base on a single in his first at-bat then promptly stole second and third base, though the offense wasn't able to bring him home. After grounding out in his next at-bat, he walked to start the bottom of the sixth and stole second base again. He came around to score that inning and scored again after an RBI double in the seventh. Gordon has been wildly impressive in the first six weeks of the season, hitting .336/.369/.443 with 21 runs and a league-leading 24 stolen bases that doubles his nearest competitors in the category.

Red Sox manager John Farrell believes Xander Bogaerts may be chasing pitches that aren't in the strike zone. However, Bogaerts believes he's been unlucky at the plate lately, the Boston Herald reports.

"I've got a few at-bats where I've hit the ball hard right at someone," Bogaerts said. "In Toronto, I hit into a double play with a runner on second on a hard-hit ball. When it ain't falling, it ain't falling. But (the hits) are right around the corner. They're coming. It's a matter of time, man, once it all turns around."

The rookie shortstop has just four hits in his last 32 at-bats, with eight strikeouts with runners in scoring position. He is hitting .268 with one home run and five RBI in 112 at-bats.

Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada went hitless in two at-bats Wednesday at Miami, dropping his season average to .183. Tejada is hitless in 14 at-bats in May.

"I just think he's trying a little bit too hard. He's swinging at some very marginal pitches," hitting coach Dave Hudgens said. "Yesterday he swung at two pitches that were up and in and hit groundballs. We're kind of searching, wanting to get hits, as opposed to having a good approach and getting a good ball to hit and don't try to force it. I think he's just trying to force it a little bit right now."

Red Sox rookie shortstop Xander Bogaerts has been given the night off for the Wednesday clash against Cincinnati. Jonathan Herrera has taken his place.

Bogaerts has been steady at the plate in recent weeks. He's hit safely in all but three games since April 16 and owns a stat line of .268/.357/.379.