MLB Player News

Twins outfielder Eduardo Escobar returned to the starting lineup for Monday's contest against the A's. Escobar was given the day off on Sunday after starting the previous five games. He got the start in left field, batting seventh for manager Paul Molitor.

Escobar, who is batting just .167 on the season, is replacing Oswaldo Arcia in the lineup after he was placed on the 15-day disabled list earlier Monday.

Blue Jays outfielder Danny Valencia was back in the starting lineup on Monday against the Yankees. Valencia, who started in left and batted seventh, was held out the last three games for manager John Gibbons. 

Michael Saunders, who started each of the last two games, began Monday's contest on the bench while dealing with a knee issue, but is available to play off the bench, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said before the game.

In limited action this season, Valencia is batting a crisp .379 with three RBI in 11 games played.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went 3 for 5 at the plate with five RBI in Minnesota' 13-3 win over the White Sox on Sunday.

Plouffe did his damage in the third when he crushed a 1-1 pitch from John Danks over the left field wall for a grand slam, his fifth home run of the season. Plouffe then singled to center in the fourth to drive home Joe Mauer.

Plouffe is now hitting .278 with 15 RBI in 90 at-bats this season.

The Twins left three starters out of Sunday's starting lineup. 

Catcher Kurt Suzuki goes to the bench, with Chris Herrmann getting his second start in five games. Herrmann is batting eighth in the lineup. 

Left fielder Eduardo Escobar is out of the lineup after four straight starts. Oswaldo Arcia returns to left, batting sixth. 

Center fielder Jordan Schafer also gets a rest, with Shane Robinson making his tenth start in center and batting seventh. 

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado recently committed six errors in a string of nine games before playing error-free ball Saturday, and manager Buck Showalter remains confident the young infielder will learn from his defensive miscues, MASN Sports reports.

"I think it's kind of good for both us and him," Showalter said. "One, to remind ourselves just how good he is there, because it shocks you when he makes a miscue. And it's also kind of good for Manny to realize that it's a product of a lot of hard work and also getting set up properly and doing some things. I can tell how frustrated he is with it, because he starts swinging the bat a lot better and then all of a sudden he has a couple of miscues."

Machado could have been charged with two errors Friday, but a ball that scooted under his glove was ruled a hit.

"He probably should have had two errors (Friday) night," Showalter said. "That was scored poorly. But he'll learn from it. And I actually look on the positive side of it that's it's something that Manny, believe me, will pay attention to."

Machado has hit .247/.322/.455 with four home runs, 12 RBI and three stolen bases in 77 at-bats.

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson did all he could to help his club avoid defeat Friday against the Indians. Donaldson, who was moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup, went 2 for 3 with two walks, a run scored and a solo home run.

The homer was Donaldson's sixth of the year and came on Carlos Carrasco's second pitch of the game. It doesn't seem to matter where manager John Gibbons puts Donaldson in the lineup these days, as he is hitting .282 with three home runs and six RBI over his last 10 games. 

With Jose Reyes on the disabled list and Devon Travis getting his second day off this season, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons decided to shake up his lineup Friday against the Indians.

Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion all moved up one spot in the lineup, which meant Donaldson moved into the leadoff spot. It was the first time in Donaldson's career he hit leadoff.

Russell Martin moved into the cleanup spot, which is usually where Encarnacion bats. He was followed by Kevin Pillar, Michael Saunders, Dalton Pompey, Ryan Goins (who started for Travis) and Jonathan Diaz.

The hot streak of Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe continued Wednesday in a loss to Detroit. He slammed two more hits, including a three-run homer that gave his team a short-lived 7-3 lead.

Plouffe, who added a single, has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, raising his average from .133 to .250 in the process.

The early-season slump of Orioles third baseman Manny Machado feels like more of a distant memory by the day.

Machado managed his first three-hit and three-run game of the year Wednesday against the visiting White Sox, giving him 10 hits in his last six games. He raised his average to a season-high .254 in the process.

He doubled and scored in a six-run first inning, then singled twice. His on-base percentage has peaked at .325.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was hitless in four at-bats Tuesday against the Yankees, ending his hitting streak at six games.

Longoria hit .565 (13 for 23) with two RBI, three doubles, one walk and five runs during his hitting streak. His hit streak came after Longoria opened the season in an 8-for-43 slump (.186).