MLB Player News

The Giants have decided to rest three key players for Sunday's series-finale agianst the Diamondbacks. 

Angel Pagan, Buster Posey and Matt Duffy are all absent from the starting lineup. Pagan has started the past 16 games, Posey the past 12 and Duffy the past 19. 

Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez is not in the lineup for Sunday's game.

After starting 14 of the last 15 games, Alvarez is replaced by Corey Hart, who bats seventh and plays first base. 

Hart is getting his fifth start of the year at the spot and first since May 16. 

Reds infielder Eugenio Suarez had a big hit in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Cubs. Suarez was the first man to bat following a 2 hour, 48 minute rain delay in the top of the sixth inning. And, with the Reds down 3-1, Suarez blasted a two-run home run to put the Reds on top for the moment. 

Suarez was appearing in just his third game with the Reds this season, filling in for the injured Zack Cozart. The home run was his first since August of last year.

Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa will start at first base on Saturday, for the first time in his professional career. 

Espinosa has never played the position in 548 career MLB games and 75 games in the minors. 

Espinosa slides over from second base. Anthony Rendon replaces him, starting his third straight game at second base. 

The Reds recalled infielders Chris Dominguez and Eugenio Suarez on Thursday, the team announced.

The moves were made possible after the team optioned Pedro Villarreal to the minor leagues and placed shortstop Zack Cozart on the 15-day disabled list.

Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez homered Wednesday against the Brewers, but he wasn't around for the end of the 2-0 win, as he was lifted for a defensive replacement in the top of the seventh inning.

Alvarez went 1 for 3 before being replaced. He hit his 10th home run of the season, which was a solo shot in the bottom of the second inning.

Phillies left fielder Cody Asche has not made much of an offensive impact since returning from the minors in late May.

In his last 11 games, Asche is batting .220 (9 for 41) with three doubles, two RBI, three runs, two walks and 10 strikeouts.

Asche has not homered in his last 27 major-league games. He has just three RBI in that span.

Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu continued to his offensive surge Tuesday against the Cardinals, totaling three hits for the second straight game and third time in four starts. He went 3 for 4 with one double and one RBI in a 4-3 win.

LeMahieu has hit safely in all but one of nine June games. He also has five multihit games this month. He is batting .410 (16 for 39) with three doubles, four RBI, four walks, nine runs and one stolen base in June.

Since his batting average dropped to .315 on May 17, LeMahieu is batting .393 with a .517 slugging percentage and .954 OPS in his last 22 games. His average is back up to .350.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado hit a game-tying two-run home run in the sixth inning of Tuesday's win over St. Louis.

Arenado went 2 for 4. He homered for the  second straight day and reached 15 home runs and 47 RBI on the year.

Giants third baseman Matt Duffy hit a solo home run in the sixth inning of Tuesday's win over the Mets. 

Duffy went 2 for 3 with a walk. He extended his hitting streak to four straight games, three of them multi-hit games. The home run was his fifth of the year and the second in four games. He drove in his 26th run of the season.