MLB Player News

Braves leadoff hitter Jace Peterson doesn't remember ever hitting a grand slam. Apparently, not even in little league, according to 680 The Fan.

Now he has one to remember forever. He sent one flying over the fence in right with the bases loaded in the second inning of his team's Saturday victory in Miami.

"Any time you can get the first one out of the way and it be a grand slam, it's awesome," Peterson said, per MLB.com.

The second baseman broke an 0-for-9 slide with the blast and added a single to improve his slash line to .276/.339/.333.

"He's a steady baseball player," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He just keeps getting better the more you run him out there."

Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez will not be the first baseman Saturday. He is out of the lineup against Cubs left-hander Jon Lester.

Corey Hart is set to man the position instead.

Alvarez has just one hit in 12 at-bats against lefties this season. But Hart is 1-for-13 against them in 2015.

Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez went 3 for 6 in Friday's 12-inning loss to the Cubs. 

Alvarez lifted his average to .218. He hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his sixth of the year, producing his 16th RBI. 

With Kelly Johnson on the disabled list, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez opted to move Nick Markakis from the leadoff spot to the cleanup spot for Friday's contest against the Marlins, according to MLB.com. Jace Peterson was inserted to the top of the order.

Markakis is hitting .302 (38 for 126) with no homers and 10 RBI in 33 games this season.

Atlanta is an underdog (+119) at Miami, per VegasInsider.com.

After all the major roster changes Padres general manager A.J. Preller made this offseason, it will be interesting to see what, if any, mid-season moves he makes.

CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman is reporting that the Padres would be interested in Brewers shortstop Jean Segura if the team made him available, though that seems unlikely at this point. 

The Padres currently have Alexi Amarista installed as their regular shortstop, but he has not hit well this year and the team views him more as a utility-type player. And as we saw this past winter, with Preller, just about anything seems possible.

Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon is on his way to Viera (Fla.) Thursday to begin baseball activities at the team's spring training facility, MLB.com reports.

Rendon will take it slowly after having to previously start and stop his rehab. He opened the season on the disabled list due to a knee injury then suffered an oblique strain during his previous rehab assignment. The infielder will start taking light grounders at Viera while also throwing and doing light work in the batting cage.

"In recent days, he has been doing strengthening with our physical therapist," manager Matt Williams said. "Now he is going to be off to Florida to start that progression with baseball. So it's a good sign. He feels good to get to the baseball part of it, which is really important stuff for him. It will be a slower process for him. At least he will get a chance to do some stuff."

The Brewers have placed shortstop Jean Segura on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 13, with a fractured pinky finger, the team announced Thursday. 

The team will call up infielder Luis Sardinas from Triple-A on Friday to take Segura's spot on the roster. 

It is not know how Segura fractured the finger or if he is expected to be out more longer than the minimum 15 days. 

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is not in Thursday's lineup against the Phillies. More than likely, this is just a day off for the veteran. 

After a cold start in April, McCutchen has seen his batting average rise as he's recorded hits in seven of his last eight games. 

Outfielder Gregory Polanco is back in the lineup and hitting first. First baseman Pedro Alvarez is hitting fifth. Third baseman Jung Ho Kang is hitting sixth and catcher Chris Stewart is batting ninth. 

Brewers leadoff hitter and infielder Jean Segura was scratched with soreness in his right pinky finger on Wednesday against the White, per the team's official website. With Segura sidelined, manager Craig Counsell moved Elian Herrera to the leadoff spot. Scooter Gennett was also included in the lineup at the No. 8 spot.

Segura is hitting .262 (33 for 126) with two homers and 12 RBI this season.

Milwaukee is favored (-125) at home against Chicago, per VegasInsider.com.

Giants second baseman Joe Panik is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game aginst the Astros. With a left-hander on the mound for Houston, manager Bruce Bochy decided to give the lefty-swinging Panik a day off after starting 10 straight games.

Matt Duffy, who is riding a six-game hitting streak, is playing second base while batting second in the lineup.