Description: Mariners second baseman Nick Franklin hit a two-run homer Monday against the Angels.
Insight: Franklin is hitting .299 with three bombs, six RBI, two steals and a .904 OPS in his first 20 games in the majors. The former first-rounder should be added in most leagues.
Description: San Francisco second baseman Marco Scutaro (finger) expects to return to the lineup Tuesday or Wednesday.
Insight: Scutaro has been sidelined with "mallet finger" since being hit by a pitch last Tuesday. If he plays through the injury, he'll risk permanent deformity.
Description: San Francisco second baseman Marco Scutaro remains out of the lineup with a pinky injury.
Insight: Scutaro has been sidelined since getting hit by a pitch last Tuesday. At this point it might make more sense for the Giants to go ahead and put Scutaro (.332, 2 HR, 15 RBI) on the disabled list.
Description: The Rangers are planning on using Jurickson Profar in the outfield now that Ian Kinsler has returned from the DL. SOURCE: Anthony Andro, Fox Sports Southwest
Insight: It's a fantasy double-whammy. Not only does Profar (.277, 2 HR, 7 RBI) get to stay in the big leagues, but soon he'll be fantasy-eligible at a new position. Jackpot!
Description: The Rays shipped Ryan Roberts to Triple-A to make room for top prospect Wil Myers.
Insight: "Tatman" has been struggling all year and he probably deserved to be the odd man out. Despite his struggles, Roberts (.238, 3 HR, 13 RBI) should get another chance in the big leagues later this season.
Description: Phillies second baseman Chase Utley (oblique) took batting practice with his teammates Friday and Saturday for the first time since suffering his injury, according to philly.com.
Insight: Utley has been on the DL since May 21 due to a strained right oblique. He reported no issues with the injury, but likely won't return until next weekend at the earliest.
Description: Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is getting a rare day off Sunday against the Orioles.
Insight: Pedroia hasn't had a multi-hit game since June 8 and his average has fallen from .335 to .319 in that span, but he's still one of the best fantasy second basemen around.
Description: Braves second baseman Dan Uggla has gone 0-for-13 with six K against Giants starter Tim Lincecum.
Insight: Lincecum is no longer the dominating presence that won back-to-back Cy Young Awards, but it will still be tough to justify playing Uggla Sunday. The second baseman is batting .188 with 86 strikeouts this season.
Description: Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano has performed well against Angels right-hander Jered Weaver, going 9-for-24 (.375) in their previous meetings.
Insight: Cano's average dipped to .272 after he went 4-for-33 (.121) from May 31 to June 9, but he's batting .350 with a 1.130 OPS over his last five contests.
Description: Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick went 3-for-3 with one RBI and a walk Saturday against the Yankees, and he'll face CC Sabathia Sunday. He's 9-for-19 (.474) against the Yankees left-hander.
Insight: Kendrick is batting .336 with a career-high 29.6 percent line-drive rate and a career-best 17.4 percent HR/FB this season. He's hitting .500 (24-for-48) in June and should be active in all lineups.
Description: Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (intercostal strain) has been activated from the 15-day disabled list and is in the starting lineup, batting leadoff.
Insight: Kinsler has not played since May 17 due to a right intercostal strain and a stress reaction in his ribcage. He was batting .302 with seven homers and an .869 OPS before the injury. Jurickson Profar in not in the lineup.
Description: Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks is 11-for-25 (.458) with a pair of home runs and a 1.302 OPS against Reds starter Homer Bailey.
Insight: Weeks is now platooning with Scooter Gennett at second base. but you have to like him on Saturday if he's in the lineup. Latest update - Weeks is not in the lineup.
Description: Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (intercostal strain) is two games into his rehab assignment at Frisco (TEX), but has yet to produce a base hit.
Insight: Kinsler has not played since May 17 due to a right intercostal strain and a stress reaction in his ribcage. He was batting .302 with seven homers and an .869 OPS before the injury.
Description: Baltimore second baseman Alexi Casilla is probable for Saturday's game against Boston while dealing with a torn ligament in right index finger.
Insight: The light-hitting second baseman has very little fantasy value. He did steal 21 bases last season, but he's a lifetime .249 hitter with a .636 OPS.
Description: Braves second baseman Dan Uggla is 4-for-12 (.333) with a pair of homers and just two strikeouts against San francisco starter Chad Gaudin.
Insight: Any time Uggla has as many home runs as strikeouts it's a good matchup. Uggla hit only 19 homers in 154 games last year. The good news is that the power is back (13 HR), but the bad news is that he is batting .190 with 86 strikeouts in 210 at-bats. This is a good matchup.
Description: Dodgers utility man Skip Schumaker has been suspended for two games for his actions during Tuesday night's brawl with Arizona.
Insight: Schumaker hasn't performed at a high enough level for this to effect any fantasy lineups. He's batting .268 with zero homers, 12 RBI and 15 runs scored in 56 games.
Description: Braves second baseman Dan Uggla is 1-for-16 (.063) against San Francisco left-hander Madison Bumgarner.
Insight: He homered in two straight games versus the Dodgers, but added just two singles in a three-game set with San Diego. Uggla hit only 19 homers in 154 games last year. The good news is that the power is back (13 HR), but the bad news is that he is batting .193 with 84 strikeouts in 207 at-bats.
Description: Los Angeles second baseman Howie Kendrick has had his problems with Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte, going just 4-for-24 (.167) over his career.
Insight: Kendrick has been on a hot streak batting .452 over the past two weeks to raise his average to .324. This matchup, however, is unfavorable.
Description: Indians outfielder Ryan Raburn should get a start against Washington left-hander Gio Gonzalez as he's a .545 hitter (6-for-11) with a pair of home runs and a 1.727 OPS.
Insight: Raburn is doing solid work when he gets the opportunity, batting .288 with seven homers, 20 RBI and 16 runs scored. He is worth a one-day flier.
Description: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips has been a major success as Cincinnati's cleanup hitter this season, but he has gone 2-for-19 (.105) with five K against Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija.
Insight: Samardzija has held Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Phillips to a combined eight hits in 50 at-bats (.160). Phillips is hitting .293 with 10 homers and 53 RBI, but Thursday could be a tough day for him.
Description: Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy has collected six hits in nine career at-bats against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright.
Insight: That's a .667 average. Murphy is only hitting .215 with a .584 OPS over his last 15 games, so perhaps a matchup with Wainwright Thursday will help get his bat going.
Description: Rays left fielder Kelly Johnson has gone just 1-for-11 (.091) with four strikeouts against Royals starter Ervin Santana, who will start Thursday against Tampa Bay.
Insight: Johnson is just 4-for-40 (.100) over his last 10 games. It's a predictable slump, as the strikeout-prone Johnson's .298 batting average over his first 45 games was aided by a .337 BABIP while his line-drive rate has hovered around 15 percent.
Description: Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis went 3-for-5 with a solo homer Wednesday night versus Texas.
Insight: Kipnis is hitting .393 with five RBI over his last seven games. Slowly but surely, he's getting his batting average up. He's hitting .258 with nine home runs, 31 RBI, 32 runs and 14 steals.
Description: Pirates second baseman Neil Walker went 2-for-4 with three RBI Wednesday versus the Giants.
Insight: Walker showed potential that he could be a top-10 fantasy second baseman last season when he hit .280 with 14 homers and 69 RBI in 472 at-bats, but he is batting just .257 with four home runs and 19 RBI this season.
Description: According to MLB.com, Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (intercostal strain) has been cleared to start his minor league rehab assignment Thursday.
Insight: Kinsler has not played since May 17 due to a right intercostal strain and a stress reaction in his ribcage. It's unclear what the Rangers will do with Jurickson Profar when Kinsler returns, though with Mitch Moreland on the DL, Texas could opt to play Kinsler at first base.
Description: Washington second baseman Danny Espinosa (wrist) will start his minor league rehab assignment Thursday.
Insight: Espinosa has played most of the season through a fractured wrist and is hitting just .158 with a .465 OPS. The team has been starting youngster Anthony Rendon at second base, so Espinosa might be optioned to Triple-A when he comes off the DL.
Description: Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that infielder Marco Scutaro as "mallet finger" tendon damage in his left pinky, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. However, Scutaro wants to play through the injury.
Insight: Scutaro was hit by a pitch on his left hand Tuesday night. X-rays came back negative, but the second baseman is unable to straighten his pinky. If Scutaro keeps playing, there's a chance he'll develop a lifelong finger deformity, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com.
Description: According to Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com, Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (intercostal strain) will take batting practice Wednesday and would like to begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday.
Insight: Kinsler has not played since May 17 due to a right intercostal strain and a stress reaction in his ribcage. It's unclear what the Rangers will do with Jurickson Profar when Kinsler returns, though with Mitch Moreland on the DL, Texas could opt to play Kinsler at first base.
Description: Los Angeles second baseman Howie Kendrick is a career .600 hitter versus Baltimore starter Jason Hammel.
Insight: He's 14-for-27 (.518) over his last six games. Kendrick's hot streak has helped push his batting average to .321 with eight homers and 32 RBI.
Description: Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro (hand) doesn't have a fracture, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com, but he might have tendon damage.
Insight: Scutaro was hit by a pitch on his left hand Tuesday night. X-rays came back negative, but the second baseman is unable to straighten his pinky. He'll see a hand specialist Wednesday and definitely will miss at least one game.
Description: According to FOX Sports, Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (intercostal strain) is tentatively scheduled to return from the DL on June 21.
Insight: Kinsler has not played since May 17 due to a right intercostal strain and a stress reaction in his ribcage.
Description: Rays left fielder Kelly Johnson is hitless in 12 career at-bats against Boston starter Jon Lester.
Insight: The left fielder is hitting .257 with 10 homers, 37 RBI and six steals this season and is a good fantasy option when healthy. He's coming off a back injury and may not be 100 percent as he's 2-for-20 since missing a pair of games.
Description: San Diego second baseman Jed Gyorko has been placed on the disabled list.
Insight: Gyorko (.284, 8 HR, 25 RBI) has been diagnosed with a strained right groin. Logan Forsythe is expected to be the starter at second base while Gyorko is out.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis is 8-for-18 (.444) with three home runs against Arizona starter Wade Miley.
Insight: Ellis broke up a seven-game hitless string with a base hit on Sunday. He's done very little that could be called fantasy worthy this season, but this is a favorable matchup.
Description: The Mets have called up first baseman Josh Satin from Triple-A. He'll presumably get most of the starts at first base now that Ike Davis has been demoted.
Insight: Satin is hitting .305 with 14 doubles, nine homers, 32 RBI and a 45/43 K/BB in 59 games with Las Vegas. The 28-year-old is not a highly touted prospect but he has earned a callup with his performance this season. He's a career .297 hitter with 24 home runs and a 186/133 K/BB in 946 Triple-A plate appearances.
Description: Giants 2B Marco Scutaro went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, a walk and two runs scored Sunday versus Arizona.
Insight: Scutaro batted .420 with a 1.033 OPS and a 3/10 K/BB in May and after Sunday's game is 10-for-29 (.345) in June. The infielder has gone 164-for-472 (.347) with a 30/34 K/BB since joining the Giants last season.
Description: Braves second baseman Dan Uggla socked a pair of homers and drove in four runs Sunday against the Dodgers.
Insight: He has homered in two straight games. Uggla hit just 19 homers in 154 games last year. The good news is that the power is back (13 HRs), but the bad news is that he is batting .193.
Description: Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy went 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBI and a steal Sunday against the Marlins.
Insight: Murphy came in 3-for-26 (.115) with one RBI over his last five games. He has five homers this season, just one off the number he has had in each of the last two seasons.
Description: Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (groin) is expected to return on Saturday, according to a Houston Chronicle report.
Insight: While Altuve has hit safely in eight straight games, he's only had one multi-hit game in that span. The groin injury is sure to slow his running game (33 steals in 2012, nine this season).
Description: Phillies second baseman Chase Utley (oblique) said Friday that he thinks he can rejoin the team by the middle of June, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
Insight: Utley has been on the DL since May 21 due to a strained right oblique. "I am definitely feeling better," he said. "I'm hoping to take some swings in the next three or four days, and at that point I'll probably know where I'm at."
Description: Arizona second baseman Aaron Hill (hand) will take batting practice on the field Friday, according to Kyndra de St. Aubin of ArizonaSports.com.
Insight: Hill broke his left hand after being hit by a pitch on April 9 and hasn't played since April 14. His hand has taken longer than expected to heal, but he should be getting close to a rehab assignment.
Description: Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis missed two straight games with a sore groin but is back in the lineup Friday, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Insight: Ellis is hitting .268 with two homers and a .666 OPS in 37 games this season.
Description: Rays left fielder Kelly Johnson (back) missed the last two games, but is back in the lineup for Friday's game against Baltimore, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Insight: The left fielder is hitting .275 with 10 homers, 35 RBI and six steals this season and is a very good fantasy option when healthy.
Description: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (forearm) is expected to return to the lineup Friday against St. Louis. Latest update - Phillips is in the starting lineup and batting in his customary cleanup spot.
Insight: Phillips was hit by a pitch on his left forearm Saturday and has been dealing with a contusion. He been an RBI maching this season with 45 in 54 games.
Description: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (forearm) is expected to return to the lineup Friday against St. Louis.
Insight: Phillips was hit by a pitch on his left forearm Saturday and has been dealing with a contusion. He been an RBI maching this season with 45 in 54 games.
Description: Astros second baseman Jose Altuve missed Thursday afternoon's game against the Orioles with an "aggravated groin" and is not expected to return until Saturday at the earliest.
Insight: While Altuve has hit safely in eight straight games, he's only had one multi-hit game in that span. The groin injury is sure to slow his running game (33 steals in 2012, nine this season).
Description: Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis has struck out in almost half his at-bats versus Detroit ace Justin Verlander and has two hits in 15 at-bats (.133).
Insight: He's still not batting for a high average, but with eight home runs, 27 RBI and 29 runs in 50 games, Kipnis is producing decently. This matchup, however, should be avoided.
Description: Rays left fielder Kelly Johnson (back) missed Thursday's game against the Tigers.
Insight: Johnson was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with back tightness. The left fielder is hitting .275 with 10 homers, 35 RBI and six steals this season.
Description: Astros second baseman Jose Altuve missed Thursday afternoon's game against the Orioles with an "aggravated groin," according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Insight: The injury likely isn't serious. While Altuve has hit safely in eight straight games, he's hitting .250 in that span and .203 over his last 17 games.
Description: Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks is out of the lineup Thursday.
Insight: Weeks is now platooning with Scooter Gennett at second base due to his .165 batting average against right-handers. He can be safely dropped in most leagues.
Description: Dodgers utility man Skip Schumaker has been brutal against Atlanta righthander Tim Hudson.
Insight: He carries a pathetic .133 average in 15 encounters with Hudson. Injuries have opened up more playing time for Schumaker (.261, 0 HR, 10 RBI) but he's still not a player you'd want to own in fantasy.
Description: Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia's nine-game hitting streak could be in jeopardy Thursday against Texas.
Insight: That's because Pedroia is only a .118 career hitter versus Rangers lefty Derek Holland. Pedroia (.330, 4 HR, 31 RBI) went 1-for-3 with a homer Wednesday in the middle game of the series.
Description: Los Angeles second baseman Howie Kendrick delivered four hits Wednesday in a loss to the Cubs.
Insight: He's 10-for-16 (.625) over his last four games. Kendrick (.317, 8 HR) is fourth among major league second baseman in RBI (32) and sixth in OPS (.828).
Description: Chicago second baseman Gordon Beckham went 4-for-7 in Wednesday's marathon victory over the Mariners.
Insight: Beckham, who also stole two bases in the contest, crossed home with the game-winning run in the 16th inning. He's 5-for-14 since coming off the disabled list on Monday.
Description: Rays left fielder Kelly Johnson was a late scratch from Wednesday's lineup due to back tightness, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.
Insight: Johnson is available to play off the bench, however. The left fielder is hitting .275 with 10 homers, 35 RBI and six steals this season.
Description: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (forearm) is hoping to return to the lineup Friday against St. Louis, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Insight: Phillips was hit by a pitch on his left forearm Saturday and has been dealing with a contusion. He'll miss his fourth straight game Wednesday.
Description: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (forearm) is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game after being hit by a pitch last Saturday.
Insight: The second baseman's X-rays came back negative, but he cannot squeeze his hand due to the forearm contusion. He's been an RBI machine this season with 45 in 54 games.
Description: Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Athletics with right-hander A.J. Griffin on the hill. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said Monday that he would be going with a "loose" platoon between Weeks and Scooter Gennett at second base.
Insight: Weeks is creeping towards the Mendoza line by hitting .313 over his last 10 games. He's batting .192 with four homers, 12 RBI, 24 runs and four steals this season. However, he must improve against right-handers -- he's 19-for-115 (.165) with 41 K against righties -- if he wants to avoid losing at-bats to Gennett.
Description: Washington second baseman Danny Espinosa (wrist) finally has been placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Insight: Espinosa has admirably tried to play through a fractured right wrist, but it was time for him to go on the DL. He's hitting .158 with three homers and a .465 OPS in 44 games this season.
Description: Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (forearm) is expected to miss Tuesday and possibly the entire series after being hit by a pitch on Saturday.
Insight: The second baseman's X-rays came back negative, but he cannot squeeze his hand due to the forearm contusion. He's been an RBI machine this season with 45 in 54 games, two behind NL leader Paul Goldschmidt.
Description: Washington second baseman Danny Espinosa (wrist) has a favorable matchup with Mets starter Jeremy Hefner. He's 5-for-10 with a pair of home runs and a 1.800 OPS.
Insight: Espinosa is trying to play through a wrist injury that really requires a couple of weeks off and his production has suffered because of it. He has just four hits in his last 51at-bats and even this favorable matchup won't be enough to overcome the reality of the wrist injury.
