MLB Player News

Machado went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer, his third blast of the Red Sox series, in Thursday's 8-3 win.

Machado's fourth-inning homer made him the first Orioles player with three bombs in a series at Fenway since B.J. Surhoff did it in 1998, Roch Kubatko of MASN reports. The third baseman wrapped up the controversial week in Boston with four hits, six RBI and four runs. Machado is clearly beginning to heat up after a slow start to the season.

Valencia went 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs, and three RBI in an 11-3 win over the Angels on Thursday.

Valencia had been mired in a season-long funk until April 25, when a two-hit effort against the Tigers kicked off what has been a 10-for-24 (.417) stretch over the subsequent six games. The veteran has smacked a double and all three of his homers during that span on the strength of an impressive 47.4 percent hard-contact rate. Valencia also has three multi-hit efforts in the last six games and has raised his average 76 points to .221.

Asche was pinch hit for in Wednesday's game after failing to hustle on a play, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Asche, who entered Wednesday's game batting .093, struck out but failed to run to first base after the catcher dropped the ball. It was obviously a message from manager Rick Renteria, but it sounds like the matter's been worked out internally. "We have certain things we want to follow through with and he understood," Renteria said. "And I'll leave it at that." Asche was in Thursday's lineup as the designated hitter and went 1-for-5 with a double and two RBI.

Escobar went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's loss to Oakland.

The homer was Escobar's third of the season and improved his slugging percentage to a rock-solid .524. Considering the 28-year-old infielder entered 2017 with a .381 mark over 1,620 career plate appearances, there is probably steep negative regression ahead. Additionally, Escobar is only playing sparingly with just 47 plate appearances this season. Still, there are cavernous settings where he can help, and he's worth considering in daily contests as a low-priced flier while producing at the dish.

Moncada is riding a nine-game hit streak at Triple-Charlotte, Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald reports.

Moncada is 12-for-34 (.353) with a .935 OPS, one home run, three RBI and two stolen bases over that stretch. He also had a homer in two of the four games before that run started. The 21-year-old said he's ready to join the White Sox, but the club probably will keep him down until sometime in June so it can gain another year of club control. He's one of the few prospects worth stashing in shallow fantasy baseball leagues.

Ramirez went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, two RBI and one run in Wednesday's 3-2 victory in Detroit.

The third baseman played a role in all three of Cleveland's runs, pushing them past the Tigers to avoid a third straight loss. Ramirez has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, owning a .325/.413/.600 slash line with six extra-base hits, seven RBI and six runs during the stretch. He currently ranks fourth in the AL with 23 RBI on the year.

Segura went 2-for-5 with a home run, a stolen base and four RBI in Wednesday's 8-7 win over the Angels.

The homer was his third and the steal was his fifth on the season, and Segura is now slashing .314/.342/.486 through 16 games with 13 runs and 12 RBI. He's been locked into Seattle's leadoff spot since coming off the DL and seems well on his way to matching the production he offered in his career year of 2016.

Longoria (foot) will be the designated hitter and hit third Wednesday against the Marlins, the Tampa Bay Times' Roger Mooney reports.

He missed a couple games with a sore foot, and while he might not be quite ready to return to the field, he will return to the lineup as the DH against lefty Adam Conley. Longoria has gotten his strikeout issues in check, but is still slashing just .208/.296/.376 with four home runs in 115 plate appearances.

Valencia went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Angels.

The 384-foot shot to left that Valencia launched in the sixth snapped a 2-2 tie and represented one of the few bright spots on the season for the veteran. It was only the 32-year-old's second homer, with the first having just come on April 25. Valencia is showing some signs of life recently, hitting .333 (5-for-15) with a double, the aforementioned pair of round trippers, two RBI, two walks and four runs over his last four games. He may primarily have been a victim of some bad breaks thus far, as his unsightly .182/.256/.338 line is accompanied by an atypically low .214 BABIP without any corresponding increase in strikeout rate.

Duffy (heel) ran the bases Monday and will do so again Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Monday marked Duffy's first time running the bases since he underwent heel surgery last fall, and he reported feeling good the following day. The Rays figure to remain cautious throughout Duffy's rehab and they may be hesitant to offer up a timetable, but Duffy thinks he could begin a rehab assignment next week and return to the major-league club by late May. He is expected to play shortstop upon activation.