MLB Player News

For just the second time this season, someone not named Evan Longoria will start at third base for the Rays on Thursday. Longoria will be the designated hitter for manager Kevin Cash as the Rays start a four-game series against the Rangers.

Longoria has been hitting the ball well lately, batting over .300 in his last 10 games, including a two-homer night on Wednesday. He'll cede third base duties to Logan Forsythe on Thursday.

With a right-hander slated to toe the rubber for the Royals on Thursday, Indians manager Terry Francona has produced a heavy lefty-hitting lineup.

David Murphy returns to the starting lineup as the designated hitter, while Nick Swisher gets a rest after playing in two straight since returning from a DL stint.

Michael Bourn, who will be benched against lefties for the near future, was back in the lineup batting seventh and playing center field. 

Switch-hitter Jose Ramirez slides in at shorstop to replace Mike Aviles. The Indians' lineup contains just one natural right-handed hitter, catcher Roberto Perez.

The left side of the Athletics infield Thursday in Minnesota will take on a decidedly unusual look. Max Muncy will man third base for the second time all year while Eric Sogard will experience his first start at short in 2015.

Muncy has just one start all year and is 3-for-10 on the season. He is expected to continue at third base when given the opportunity to play. Sogard has been a full-time starter at second base.

Twins outfielder Eduardo Escobar had his best game of the 2015 season in Wednesday night's 13-0 win over the Athletics. 

Escobar went 3 for 4 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning and a two-run double in the seventh. He also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the third. Escobar entered the game with five total RBI for the season and doubled his total with Wednesday's output. 

In three games against the Athletics this series, Escobar has gone 6 for 11 at the plate. 

Escobar is now batting .225/.243/.380. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria had a big night Wednesday, going 2 for 3 with two walks, two solo home runs and three runs scored in his team's 5-3 win over the Red Sox.

Longoria hadn't homered since Opening Day but was able to deliver a pair of home runs Wednesday, posting his first multihomer day since Sept. 25, 2013. His shots came in the fourth and ninth innings, and he added another run scored in the fifth.

Longoria has hit .284/.400/.474 with three home runs and eight RBI in 95 at-bats.

After hitting from the leadoff position in each of the last three games, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado will slide down to the No. 5 spot in the order on Wednesday against the Mets. Machado had just two hits in 12 at-bats from the top of manager Buck Showalter's lineup, though one of those hits was a home run.

Alejandro De Aza was listed as the team's leadoff hitter on Wednesday.

Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders and utility man Danny Valencia are out of the starting lineup again Wednesday against the Yankees, the team announced. 

Saunders has missed the last two games for Toronto after having his knee drained on Monday. Chris Colabello will draw his second start in right. Valencia will miss his second straight game with an ankle sprain.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went 1 for 4 at the plate, but the one was enough to collect his 1,000th career hit as member of the Rays.

Longoria needed 986 games to accomplish the feat and became just the third player in Tampa Bay history with 1,000 hits with the team, joining Carl Crawford and Ben Zobrist.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado went 1 for 4 at the plate in Baltimore's 3-2 loss to the Mets on Tuesday.

Machado did his damage in the eighth inning when he crushed a 1-0 pitch from Bartolo Colon over the left center field wall for a solo home run, his fifth of the season. Machado is now hitting .250 with 13 RBI in 84 at-bats this season.

Blue Jays utility player Danny Valencia was unable to start Tuesday against the Yankees after spraining his ankle Monday. Valencia suffered the injury when he tripped on the stairs walking back from the dugout after Monday's game, per Sportsnet.ca.

Valencia is batting .333 (9 for 27) with three RBI, four doubles and five runs in his last seven games (six starts).