MLB Player News

Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez went 1 for 3 in Pittsburgh's 5-4 win over the Tigers Monday. Alvarez led off the seventh inning with a solo home run to center field off of Anibal Sanchez to extend Pittsburgh's lead to 3-1.

It was Alvarez's third home run of the year and boosted his average .304 in 23 at-bats.

Cubs third baseman Mike Olt is back in the starting lineup Monday against the Reds.

Olt was hit by a pitch on the wrist Saturday but was able to pinch hit one day later before returning to the lineup Monday. Second baseman Tommy La Stella, who is dealing with a strain on his side, is not in the lineup Monday.

The Cubs are favorites (-131) against the Reds Monday.

Nationals manager Matt Williams said Monday that third baseman Anthony Rendon is making progress in his recovery from an MCL sprain.

Rendon did some throwing and took some dry swings Sunday, progressing from the side-to-side drills he began Friday. He remains without a timetable for return from the disabled list.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is 9 for 24 with four doubles, two home runs and seven RBI in his first six games of the season, giving him a .375/.423/.792 line after one week of play.

Arenado hit fifth in each of his team's first three games of the season, but he appeared twice in the third spot of the lineup in this weekend's series against the Cubs. After opening the season with a five-game hitting streak, he went 0 for 4 in Sunday's 6-5 loss.

Cubs third baseman Mike Olt was able to pinch-hit Sunday after being hit on the wrist in Saturday's game.

"Last night, it was swollen, and I woke up this morning, and it wasn't," Olt said to MLB.com. "That's a big step in the right direction. I could probably steal a bag, whatever they need."

Olt struck out, but remained in the game at third for Jonathan Herrera.

Rockies infielder DJ LeMahieu recorded three RBI in Sunday's 6-5 loss against the Cubs. 

LeMahieu went 1 of 4 for the game but made his lone hit count. He hit a three-run triple in the second inning, scoring Corey Dickerson, Michael McKenry and Daniel Descalso. LeMahieu finished the series against the Cubs 7 for 12. 

"He might have got star of the series award," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, via MLB.com. "He was really good."

Cody Asche returned to the lineup after two days off and picked up three hits in the Phillies' 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Nationals on Sunday. 

Asche, who was batting third, got the Phillies on the board with a fifth-inning single off Washington starter Max Scherzer and was the potential tying run in the 10th inning after earning a walk against closer Drew Storen. 

Asche is hitting .429 on the season with one RBI. 

Giants third baseman Casey McGehee is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres and has been diagnosed with a bone bruise on his left knee, CSN Bay Area reports.

McGehee came out of Saturday's game with a left knee strain, so his absence Sunday afternoon doesn't come as a surprise. He indicated that he initially suffered the injury Monday and felt it intermittently all week, and he'll continue to get treatment for a few days.

Infielder Matt Duffy, who has seen starts at second base and third base already this season, will start at third base.

The Giants are underdogs (+120) against the Padres Sunday.

Cubs third baseman Mike Olt will not start Sunday, one day after getting hit by a pitch on his wrist that required X-rays, according to MLB.com, with Jonathan Herrera getting the nod at third base. 

The X-rays on Olt were negative, but Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Saturday that if the wrist remained sore, Olt might not play. Herrera made the Cubs roster with a strong spring training after signing with the team as a free agent in the offseason. He hit .233 in 90 at-bats with Boston last year and has one at-bat in two games this year. 

Olt said that he woke up without any swelling in the wrist and felt good after taking some batting practice swings, noting that he could come off the bench if need be. 

Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy and second baseman Scooter Gennett are not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Lucroy is getting a break from starting Sunday after opening the season just 1 for 20, and Martin Maldonado will take his spot behind the plate. Manager Ron Roenicke said he isn't worried about Lucroy's slow start, the Journal Sentinel reports.

"Luc has had some good at-bats," Roenicke said Sunday. "He stayed on a breaking ball and hit a bullet to second yesterday. The day before he lined out to short. So he’s had some good at-bats. The first couple days he was lost, then he started swinging the bat again. I like what he’s doing."

With Lucroy out of the lineup, Jean Segura will move to the No. 2 slot, and the manager indicated that Segura's early-season performance made his choice for the spot easy.

"The way he’s been swinging it, yeah," Roenicke said. "Other than that, I don’t what I would have done. Sometimes you slip in a Khris Davis or somebody else. But Seggy, the way he’s swinging, he’s perfect."

Gennett is out of the lineup for the second straight game after getting ejected Friday for slamming his bat to the ground on a called strike three when the team had no backup infielders on the bench. Hector Gomez will get a second straight start at second base after going 2 for 3 Saturday.

The Brewers are favorites (-120) against the Pirates Sunday.