MLB Player News

The Cubs optioned infielder Arismendy Alcantara to Triple-A Iowa Tuesday while also transferring third baseman Mike Olt to the 60-day disabled list.

Both moves clear 25-man and 40-man roster spots for top prospect Addison Russell, who is set to start at second base and bat ninth in his major-league debut Tuesday.

Alcantara was just 2 for 26 with five walks and one stolen base in 11 games with the Cubs. Olt is recovering from a hairline fracture in his wrist.

Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco and first baseman Pedro Alvarez had missed one start between them heading into Tuesday. But both are absent from the lineup against Cubs southpaw Travis Wood.

Alvarez has been particularly unproductive against Wood. He is 1 for 18 against him lifetime. Polanco has just one hit agianst lefties this season.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado thinks he'll be able to return to the diamond for Tuesday night's game against the Padres. 

According to The Denver Post, Arenado said he started feeling soreness in his wrist just before his final at-bat against the Dodgers on Sunday. That carried over to Monday, which is why he was a late scratch in the lineup. 

“This is nothing chronic, just some soreness,” he said. “I’ve never had this before. I think I’ll be fine.”

Arenado is hitting .311 with three home runs and 10 BRI. 

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado was scratched from the starting lineup Monday, according to the Denver Post.

Arenado, who is hitting .311 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 45 at-bats this season, had no issues before the game, but is dealing with a sore left wrist, according to the report. Rafael Ynoa will take his place at third and bat eighth in the game.

Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez went 1 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run in his team's 5-2 win over the Brewers Sunday.

Alvarez knocked his fourth home run of the season in the third inning to break a 2-2 tie and put his team up for good. He has hit .256/.310/.590 with four home runs and seven RBI in 39 at-bats over 12 games.

Rockies catcher Nick Hundley and second baseman DJ LeMahieu are not in the starting lineup for Sunday's matchup with the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Hundley has started four of the team's last five games but will get a breather Sunday. LeMahieu is out of the starting lineup for the first time this season. The Rockies will bat catcher Michael McKenry seventh and second baseman Daniel Descalso eighth against the Dodgers.

The Rockies are underdogs (+150) in Los Angeles Sunday.

Cubs third baseman Mike Olt (wrist) said Saturday he expects to begin rehab in three-to-four weeks, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Olt is in a cast after suffering a hairline fracture in his wrist, but he was able to avoid any ligament damage. He's expected to eventually return in a reserve role provided rookie Kris Bryant can remain healthy.

Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu had his nine-game hitting streak to start the season snapped Friday night. He apparently didn't take too kindly to it.

LeMahieu, a hot hitter on a hot-hitting team, provided most of the offense in a loss to the Dodgers with a two-run homer in the seventh inning off standout right-hander Zack Greinke. The RBI give him eight on the year and the performance improved his slash line to an impressive .463/.476/.585.

Cubs third baseman Mike Olt is on the 15-day DL with a hairline fracture in his wrist, but said he has no ligament damage in the hand, according to the Chicago Tribune.

"We did a different kind of X-ray in Colorado (when he suffered the injury against the Rockies) and my pain wasn't too bad, so we didn't look into it further. Then it just didn't progress as well as we thought, so we did an MRI," Olt said.

He will be battling for his job when he is healthy enough to come back as the team has called up prospect Kris Bryant, who has started two games since he went on the disabled list.

Nationals manager Matt Williams said that third baseman Anthony Rendon has continued his rehab work from an MCL sprain in Viera, Fla., at the Nationals complex, MASN Sports reports. 

"Wet field conditions today, so he didn't run today, but he did all the other things. He hit, he threw, he took grounders because we can cover the field. So all is well. He's progressing nicely."

Rendon, who finished fifth in NL MVP voting last season, started the year on the 15-day disabled list with the injury. The team has not given a timetable for Rendon's return. In the meantime, Washington will use Yunel Escobar at third base while Rendon remains sidelined.