Franklin's batting average has gone from .250 to .296 during his recent seven-game surge.

Nava is batting .297 (19 for 64) with three doubles, eight walks, 12 RBI and 13 runs in 16 June games. 

There is still no timetable for his return to game action. He will still need a rehab assignment, so he's likely at least two weeks away from a return, if not longer.

Aybar also has seven RBI in his last six games after managing just two RBI in his previous 10 games.

"It’s hard to talk about it, in all honesty," Norris said. "There’s a lot going on around me. I’ve seen a lot of trades in my 3 1/2 years up here. Now that my name’s the one popping up, it’s a little different feeling. At the end of the day, I need to prepare myself to pitch every five days for the team I’m on. I’ve been in Houston my entire career. All I know is pitching for this team. If it changes, it changes. But it’s not going to change my aspect of going out there and pitching."

Norris isn't a free agent until after the 2015 season, so the Astros don't have to deal him. However, he's a good pitcher with a reasonable salary and could provide a lift to a contender's rotation. 

"You have to be informed," he said. "I don’t think you want to be blindsided by it: One day, you come to the park and, boom, you’re gone. I don’t pay too much attention to it, but I’m definitely in the loop. I get tidbits here and there ... but it comes down to the front office. I have to impress somebody enough where they want to come get me."

Espinosa has been at Syracuse for six games on a rehab assignment, in which he has hit a brutal .118/.238/.118. Espinosa has been dealing with a fractured right wrist for much of the season. General manager Mike Rizzo previously said Espinosa needs to "show what he's capable of," and so he'll have to start hitting at Syracuse if he is to get a chance to unseat Anthony Rendon at second base in Washington.

"He’s an option," Showalter said of Britton. "We’ve got a lot of things going on. We’re taking a look at [Wei-Yin] Chen’s outing on Thursday, see where we project him after that, see when Ham, when Ham’s comfortable to go and when we see Miguel back. We [don’t] know what the plans are until you get it here. And Freddy [Garcia], if we have to use Freddy out of the 'pen or not tomorrow. We’ll proceed, and see where it takes us. He did a nice job, all things considered. I’d like to see him get a little deeper."

Girardi is impressed with Almonte, who was batting .354 in 16 June games prior to his promotion. 

"We really believe this kid is going to hit," Girardi said, per The Journal News. "At times, we really saw it in spring training. He struggled a little bit in spring training. Maybe it was the excitement of trying to make a team. But he has seemed to swing the bat pretty well down there, especially left-handed. He’s a guy that can play either left or right, which is helpful in this situation."

On Wednesday, Red Sox manager John Farrell tried to explain during an interview with MLB Network Radio why Bailey has been struggling.

"When he's been jumpy, moving away from rubber too quick, that's when fastball command goes away," Farrell said.