MLB Player News

Uh-oh. The Athletics' Josh Donaldson is batting .186 (8 for 43) over his last 12 games. Guess this is the beginning of the end, right?

Well, it is his longest cold stretch of the season, but not by as much as you'd think.

In June, he had a 10-game stretch in which he hit .146 (6 for 41). In late April and early May, he had an eight-game stretch in which he hit .179 (5 for 28). At the very beginning of the season, before anyone knew what they had in Donaldson, he hit .120 (3 for 25) in seven games.

In other words, it seems scary because it's happening right now and because you keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with him, but to me, Donaldson's little cold spell is much ado about nothing. His .299 batting average and 24 homers in 545 at-bats since his return from the minor leagues last August counts for so much more.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria is hitting second again Thursday against the Red Sox.

Longoria was moved to the two-spot Wednesday, and it appears to be a trend now. Longoria is hitting .276/.354/.515 in 373 at-bats. He'll take on John Lackey during Thursday's contest.

The Orioles optioned utility player and designated hitter Danny Valencia back to Triple-A Norfolk Wednesday to clear roster space for the addition of Francisco Rodriguez, MLB.com reports. Valencia, batting .200 overall this season, has been mired in an ugly 0-for-22 slump. 

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado hit his eighth home run in a loss Tuesday against Kansas City. 

Machado is off to a slow start in the second half, as the home run was his first extra-base hit to go with a .217 average in the first five games. Machado led the league with 39 doubles in the first half, and he could become an even scarier offensive force if some of those doubles turn into home runs down the stretch. He has a .305/.333/.463 line on the season.

The Cubs and Rangers trade featuring Matt Garza going to Texas and Mike Olt, C.J. Edwards and Justin Grimm going to the Cubs is official, MLB.com reports. The deal also features the Rangers sending two players-to-be-named-later. 

The initial plan for the Rangers is for Garza to start Wednesday against New York. Olt and Grimm were immediately sent to Triple-A Iowa, and Edwards heads to Class A Daytona. 

The trade sending Matt Garza to the Texas Rangers has been finalized, Yahoo! Sports reports Monday. The Cubs sent Garza to the Rangers for infielder Mike Olt, minor league pitcher C.J. Edwards, starting pitcher Justin Grimm and a player-to-be-named-later. 

Grimm has the most major-league experience with 22 appearances and 19 starts with the Rangers over the last two seasons. He was 7-7 this year with a 6.37 ERA over 17 starts with 68 strikeouts over 89 innings. Grimm should jump into the Cubs' rotation in Garza's spot. 

Olt has played in 16 big-league games, all came last season. He hit .152 in 33 at-bats with five RBI. The 24-year-old was batting .213 in 65 games with Triple-A Round Rock. 

Edwards, 21, was playing with Class A Hickory but has shown loads of potential. He's 13-5 over two pro seasons with a 1.68 ERA. He has 122 strikeouts with Hickory this season over 18 starts and 93 1/3 innings.  

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria has been in a slump for about a month.

Longoria is hitting just .157/.330/.300 since June 23. Longoria's overall numbers are still solid. He's hitting .278/.258/.517 in 360 at-bats. Longoria hit a home run during Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, so that could be sign he's starting to turn things around. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria homered for the second time in three games Sunday against the Blue Jays. His solo home run leading off the fourth inning off R.A. Dickey was his 20th.

Longoria has homered three times in 16 July games but is batting .172 (10 for 58) for the month. Longoria has a double, eight RBI and 12 walks.

The Orioles have recalled Danny Valencia for Friday's game against Texas, MLB.com reports. Valencia has played 21 games for the Orioles this year with a .230/.277/.508 line and four home runs.

Rangers infield prospect Mike Olt and pitching prospect C.J. Edwards are in play in trade talks for Cubs pitcher Matt Garza, Fox Sports reports. A deal between the teams is reportedly getting closer to completion.

The Cubs have asked teams for final offers for Garza, who has been one of the most discussed names on the trade market this season. While the Rangers appear to be the furthest along in trade talks, other teams are thought to be involved in discussions for Garza.