MLB Player News

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was pleased with his decision to move third baseman Josh Donaldson to second in the batting order Wednesday against the Rays.

Donaldson, who spent the first eight games of the season in the No. 5, singled in the opening frame and scored on a two-run homer by Jose Bautista. He finished 3 for 5 with two singles, a double, two runs scored and three RBI in a 12-7 victory over the Rays.

"Donaldson I thought might be a good guy there, thought we'd give him a try now," Gibbons said of moving Donaldson from the fifth spot. "You always like your top hitters there. They might get that extra at-bat. He's up there setting the table. He's a threat."

Donaldson has four games with at least two hits, including two in as many days. He is hitting .286 with three doubles, three walks and six RBI in nine games.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado went 1 for with a walk and a solo home run in his team's 7-5 win over the Yankees Wednesday.

Machado picked up his first home run of the season in the fourth inning off Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi after entering the game just 4 for 27. Machado owns a .161 average over his first 31 at-bats.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons moved third baseman Josh Donaldson to second in the batting order Wednesday against the Rays. Donaldson -- who hit fifth in the first eight games -- was batting behind Jose Reyes and in front of Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.

Donaldson is batting .167 (2 for 12) with one home run and three RBI in his career against Erasmo Ramirez, who is starting for the Rays on Wednesday.

Donaldson has a career .275 average, .473 slugging percentage, five home runs, nine doubles and 19 RBI in 34 games batting second.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went 1 for 4 at the plate Monday in Minnesota's 12-3 loss to the Royals.

Plouffe opened up the seventh inning with a solo home run off of Danny Duffy on a 1-1 pitch to left field, his only hit of the game. Plouffe has struggled at the plate early on, hitting just .130 in 23 at-bats with seven strikeouts so far this season.

"We're not sugarcoating anything," Plouffe said to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "It's been bad. These first seven games now have been bad. We do have to clean those things up." 

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado finally ended his hitless slide to begin the season Sunday against the Blue Jays.

Machado began the season in a 0-for-15 slump before leading off the second inning Sunday with a single off Drew Hutchison. However, it was his only hit in four at-bats.

Machado is batting .053 (1 for 19) with one RBI, three walks, four strikeouts and one stolen base in six games. He also has grounded into two double plays.

"The stats haven't matched up with how good he feels," manager Buck Showalter said Monday. "They will, they will."

Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia and designated hitter Kennys Vargas are not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against lefty Chris Sale and the White Sox.

The team is going righty-heavy against Sale, with Joe Mauer, who is serving as the team's designated hitter Sunday, the only lefty in the lineup. Third baseman Trevor Plouffe moves across the diamond to play first base, while Eduardo Escobar and Eduardo Nunez enter the lineup in place of Arcia and Vargas.

The Twins are underdogs (+135) against the White Sox Sunday, per VegasInsider.com.

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson came up with three RBI during Friday's 12-5 win over the Orioles. 

Donaldson went 2 for 3, scored a run and drew a walk. Donaldson entered the game just 2 for 11 through three games.

Donaldson hit a sacrifice fly in the third and a two-run double in the fifth. Those were his first three RBI of the season. 

Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar will leave the team after Friday's game against the White Sox to be with his fiancee for birth of their child, according to the the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He is expected to rejoin the club on Sunday.

Escobar is hitting .200 (1 for 5) through three games.

Indians shortstop Jose Ramirez went 2 for 4 with a walk, a solo home run and two stolen bases in his team's 5-1 win over the Astros Thursday.

Ramirez, the team's starter at shortstop, was 0 for 6 in his first two games before breaking through Thursday, hitting a fifth-inning home run to extend his team's lead to four runs. He'll try to keep rolling this weekend against the Tigers.

After starting the first two games in left field, Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia received a day off Thursday against the Tigers. He was replaced in the starting lineup by infielder Eduardo Escobar.

Arcia is off to a slow start through two games, batting .167 (1 for 6) with three strikeouts. He has no walks or extra-base hits.