MLB Player News

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado expressed optimism about the current pace of his recovery from a broken finger that has kept him out since May 23.

That optimism stemmed from his Thursday activity, including hitting off a tee and taking fielding practice. He is closing in on a rehab assignment and might be back on the field for Colorado by the July 4 game against the visiting Dodgers.

"I'm getting really close to returning," Arenado told the Denver Post.

The Rockies can certainly use Arenado, who hit off a tee Thursday and hopes to take regular batting practice Friday. He was enjoying a breakthrough season, as his .305/.333/.489 stat line attests.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado continues to make excellent progress in his recovery from a finger injury, as he was cleared to take swings for the first time Thursday.

Arenado hit off a tee for the first time Thursday, after he was first cleared to swing a bat just three days ago. According to the Denver Post, Arenado will take batting practice for the first time Friday, and hopes to be cleared for a rehab assignment in the minors within the next week. 

Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon went 3 for 7 with a solo home run and a stolen base in his team's 4-2, 16-inning win over the Brewers Tuesday.

Rendon tied the game with his eighth-inning home run, and neither team would break through with another run until Ryan Zimmerman smacked a two-run homer in the top of the 16th. Rendon has slugged six of his 12 home runs in June, and he owns a .276/.336/.479 line with 43 RBI and six stolen bases in 290 at-bats.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado said Monday that he has been cleared to grip a bat, though he's still prohibited from taking any swings, MLB.com reports.

On the disabled list since late May, Arenado is recovering from a finger injury, and recent X-rays showed no structural damage to the finger. He has hit .305/.333/.489 with six home runs and 28 RBI in 190 at-bats.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez went 1 for 3 with a walk and a three-run home run in his team's 8-1 win over the Rays Monday.

Alvarez was facing a bit of a power dry spell, with his last home run coming back on June 3, before launching a ball over the center field fence Monday. He has hit .232/.318/.402 with 12 home runs and 38 RBI in 271 at-bats.

Phillies third baseman Cody Asche went 3 for 3 with a double in his team's 4-0 loss to the Marlins Monday.

Asche's double was his team's only extra-base hit in the game, and his three hits comprised exactly half of his team's hit total. Now 6 for 15 since returning from the disabled list, the third baseman has hit .274/.351/.437 with four home runs and 21 RBI in 135 at-bats.

With Bryce Harper getting closer to returning from a thumb injury, Nationals manager Matt Williams announced Ryan Zimmerman will be returning to third base upon Harper's activation off the disabled list and Anthony Rendon will move to second base, per MLB.com.

Although Zimmerman is happy to oblige his manager, he said Sunday he prefers to stay in left field and have Rendon continue to play at third base.

"Going out to left field, gave us the best chance to win. It’s a good problem to have. Too many good players and not enough spots," Zimmerman said. "I’ll see what happens. I’m pretty comfortable in left and I think Anthony is a hell of a third baseman. I think there is no doubt right now he is better over there than me. But you have to have your best players in the lineup somehow. Whatever [manager] Matt [Williams] needs me to do, that’s what I’ll do."

Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon went 3 for 4 with two RBI in his team's 3-0 win over the Braves Saturday.

Rendon drove home the first run of the game in the third inning with a single, and then knocked in the final run of the game with a seventh-inning double. It was his third multihit performance in his last five games. Rendon has hit .274/.333/.473 with 11 home runs, 42 RBI and five stolen bases in 277 at-bats.

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura hits occasional home runs, but he had never slugged two in one game. That is, until Friday night in homer-happy Coors Field.

Segura slammed one solo bomb in the second inning inning and another in the third, then added an RBI single in the sixth. His three-RBI game marked his first since April 23 as he sweetened his stat line to .250/.278/.348.

Shelved Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado received encouraging news when X-rays on his finger came back clean. He plans on hitting next week and hopes to return to the lineup in the next few weeks, per the Denver Post.

Arenado was tearing it up before the injury that landed him on the disabled list. He had compiled a .305/.333/.489 stat line in 190 at-bats with six home runs and 28 RBI.