Mike Aviles is not in the Royals' Friday lineup against the Tigers.

Off to a 3-for-26 start this season, Aviles will get the day off with Detroit sending tough right-hander Max Scherzer to the mound. Wilson Betemit is getting the start in his place. Look for Aviles to be back in the lineup on Saturday when Kansas City will be facing lefty Phil Coke.

Mike Aviles went 0-for-7 and was picked off first base Wednesday in the 12-inning loss to the White Sox.

Aviles collected an RBI after grounding into a fielder's choice in the fourth and then was picked off first base to end the rally. He's now hitting just .115 in 26 at-bats, and since he has little in the way of power and he hardly ever walks, he's a pretty awful player when he's not delivering singles. Hopefully that average will pick up soon.

Ned Yost said that Mike Aviles is the team's "best option" to lead off

Yost acknowledged that Chris Getz would bring some qualities to the leadoff role, but that Aviles "has more offensive capabilities." Shockingly, the Royals finished with the majors' second highest batting average last year, though that did not translate into runs or wins. The team hopes its leadoff hitting will serve as an offensive spark plug. Playing only two-thirds of last season, Aviles hit .304 with eight home runs and 14 steals.

Mike Aviles is batting .358 with six homers in the month of September.

Aviles, 29, also has four doubles and a 1006 OPS. He had just two homers through his first 337 at-bats this season but is beginning to turn it all around and is worth owning in fantasy leagues for this final week.

Mike Aviles and Wilson Betemit swapped positions Friday, with Aviles starting at third base and Betemit starting at second.

The two players will be at the same positions again Saturday. The switch is being made to evaluate Aviles as a possible starting option at third for next season while finding out how comfortable Betemit is at second in preparation for a utility role next year. Frankly, it would be a surprise if top prospect Mike Moustakas isn't the starter at the hot corner in 2011.

Mike Aviles went 3-for-6 in the Royals win over the Tigers Tuesday night.

Aviles doesn't have much power, and all three hits were singles. He doesn't have much speed, and he doesn't walk much. What he does do is put the ball in play - and right now he's hot. With Chris Getz probably shut down for the season with concussion issues, Aviles is a good middle infield stop-gap for now.

Mike Aviles is instantly hot now that he's seven for his last ten with two home runs and a stolen base over three games.

Aviles put together his second home run in two games along with a stolen base on Tuesday night. His three RBI and mini-burst might have bought him some more time at second base, where Chris Getz has been underwhelming recently. He doesn't really walk or have power, but he doesn't strike out and can seemingly put up a good batting average. That last skill, though overrated in the real-life game, is good enough to play him in deeper leagues if he continues to start.

Mike Aviles went 3-for-4 and homered for the Royals' lone run in Monday's loss.

Aviles is hitting .294, but with just 16 extra-base hits, 20 RBI and 15 walks in 340 at-bats, he's been about as poor of a .294 hitter as a player can be. He needs a strong finish if he wants to guarantee he's penciled in as anything more than a utilityman entering 2011.

Royals manager Ned Yost said Mike Aviles will see playing time at third base.

"We worked him out real hard at third and it looks like he can handle it," Yost said. "So we'll probably give Wilson (Betemit) the day off (Saturday)." Yost also said moving Alex Gordon back to third base is not an option.

Mike Aviles went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI against the White Sox on Monday.

Aviles isn't good for more than an extra-base hit or a walk a week, but he's still hitting .324 over 176 at-bats. That's right where he finished 2008, too (.325 in 419 AB). It'd be nice if he drove in some more runs and he certainly hasn't helped the Royals by getting thrown out four times in five steal attempts, but he's been a big upgrade over Chris Getz.

Mike Aviles was 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a career-high four RBI in a 15-7 win over the Astros on Tuesday night.

All four of Aviles' hits were singles, but it was his first four-hit game since August 8, 2008. The 29-year-old infielder is batting .321/.345/.418 over his first 134 at-bats this season and deserves regular playing time over either Chris Getz or Yuniesky Betancourt. Just don't count on new Royals manager Ned Yost seeing it our way.

Royals manager Trey Hillman indicated that Mike Aviles will be in the starting lineup on an almost daily basis moving forward.

"He's earned the right to stay in there," said Hillman. "He's a good defender and he's swung the bat as well as anybody has the last four or five days. If Mike keeps hitting, he'll keep playing somewhere, and we'll continue to monitor the other pieces. Aviles is 10-for-23 since being recalled from the minors on May 2. He's started over Chris Getz on Tuesday.

Mike Aviles is starting at second base against the Indians on Tuesday night.

Chris Getz is pushed to the bench. Aviles is 10-for-23 with two homers and five RBI since his return from the minors last week, making a very strong case for regular playing time. If he's still available in AL-only formats, he shouldn't be.

Mike Aviles went 3-for-4 with a solo homer against the Rangers on Sunday.

Aviles added a pair of singles to his homer, and also added a second run scored. Aviles is 10-for-23 with two homers since returning from the minors. The Royals are going to have to use him every day while playing this well, and the streaky Aviles could well have mixed league value. He's certainly worth picking up in AL-only formats.

In his first start of the season, Mike Aviles went 3-for-5 with a home run in Tuesday's 7-2 victory over the White Sox.

Very good news for AL-only fantasy players, very bad news for Yuniesky Betancourt. Aviles was recalled from Triple-A Omaha over the weekend with only a utility role promised, but he could force his way into the lineup with a hot start. Betancourt's the only man standing in his way of Kansas City's full-time shortstop gig, so AL-only owners might want to pounce on Aviles while they have a chance, assuming they have roster space to do so. Aviles batted .284/.324/.403 over 71 plate appearances in Tacoma after missing most of last season due to Tommy John surgery. He certainly has fantasy potential, as those who recall his .325/.354/.480 and 10 homers in 2008 can attest.

Mike Aviles is starting at shortstop and batting seventh against Gavin Floyd and the White Sox on Tuesday night.

Yuniesky Betancourt was off to a decent start for his standards, but has only managed one hit over the past six games, opening the door for Aviles to reclaim his old job. Aviles, who is coming off Tommy John surgery, was batting .284/.324/.403 over 71 plate appearances with Triple-A Omaha. Keep an eye on him in AL-only leagues.

Royals recalled INF Mike Aviles from Triple-A Omaha.

Aviles was awarded the final spot on Kansas City's Opening Day roster, but was shipped the minors a little more than a week later after logging only one at-bat. He posted a passable .284/.324/.403 line in 71 Triple-A plate appearances. Aviles will serve in a utility role and AL-only players will want to track his progress.

Royals optioned INF Mike Aviles to Triple-A Omaha.

Aviles needed more playing time than he was getting and the Royals needed a roster spot for Gil Meche, so this works out well for everyone. There are a fair number of people ahead of Aviles on the depth chart, but a rash of injuries could certainly see him rejoin the team sometime this year.