MLB Player News

Nationals third base prospect Anthony Rendon has thrived since his demotion to the minors a few weeks back. In his first 11 games since returning to Double-A Harrisburg, Rendon is batting .436 (17 for 39) with two home runs, six doubles, nine walks and nine RBI.

"I didn't think that getting sent down was a negative," Rendon said, per MLB.com. "Honestly, not that I didn't care, but I knew my stint wasn't going to be that long under the circumstances, so I wanted to make the best of it while I was there. And then I came back here and kept doing the same thing I was doing."

Rendon's slash line through 25 games is .356/.496/.609/1.105. He's added four home runs, 10 doubles and 16 RBI, while recording more walks (23) than strikeouts (18).

"Tremendous talent. It's fun to watch," Harrisburg manager Matt LeCroy said. "I think he's got a little bit more confidence coming down and realizing how difficult the game is up there and then you come down here and it's not as hard. To his credit, he's worked hard, he's developed a routine from Day 1, and it's carried over. He's started seeing the rewards for his work."

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura has been providing immense value all season long with his bat, and now his legs are starting to catch up. Segura has five stolen bases in his last four games, while also batting 10 of 19 with two home runs.

Reports came out Tuesday that the Brewers are already looking to lock up Segura long-term, despite having just 320 plate appeareances at the major-league level by which to judge him. The fact that the team is so sold on him should be a good sign for those Fantasy owners who are wondering if his hot start is for real.

Segura is being helped out by a .376 batting average on balls in play, and his seven home runs are just three shy of matching his highest total in the minors, so there are definite signs that this is an outlier. On the other hand, he is barely striking out and has a very high 21.6 percent line drive rate, so a .300-plus batting average seems sustainable. If he can trade his power surge for an increased reliance on his speed, Fantasy owners will take that. At this point, Segura is looking like one of the best shortstops in the game. 

The Rockies sent DJ LeMahieu to the minors at the end of spring training in order for the 24-year-old to see regular playing time at shortstop. The club views him as an insurance policy in case Troy Tulowitzki gets injured, MLB.com reports.

LeMahieu has batted .360 with one homer, 22 RBI and a .511 slugging percentage in 32 games for Triple-A Colorado Springs.

"He's a big league player," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday. "He's handled it well, it sounds like. He's showing that he can play there, too."

The Brewers reportedly offered Jean Segura a contract extension in early April, according to FoxSports.com.

Segura's agent Joe Klein said the team contacted him about a long-term deal, and that the ball is in his court now. Klein admitted it's tough to figure out a fair deal for someone with a small amount of playing time. He added that it would be good if Segura and the team came to an agreement, but classified negotiations as "way on the drawing board."

Segura has certainly helped his cause this season. He's currently hitting .368/.412/.588 in 136 at-bats.

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura stole three bases Monday against the Pirates.

Segura singled in his first three plate appearances of the night, and swiped second after each hit. Though he was on base three times, Segura did not score any runs. He's hitting .368/.412/.588 in 136 at-bats. 

After an eight-game stint with the Nationals earlier this season, third baseman Anthony Rendon was squeezed from the roster following Ryan Zimmerman's return from the disabled list. But the organization's top prospect doesn't appear to be fazed by the demotion back to Double-A Harrisburg, producing a .451 batting average with eight RBI in his first nine games.

The 22-year-old has posted multiple hits in six of those outings, and six of his 14 total hits in that span have gone for doubles. For his efforts, Rendon was named the Eastern League Player of the Week and is now hitting .354 overall on the season.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado went 2 for 4 with a double and run scored during an 8-2 victory over St. Louis Sunday. Arenado is 3 for 7 in his last two games after a four-game hitless streak.

"Nolan's swinging the bat really well," Colorado manager Walt Weiss told MLB.com. "You keep your eye on guys, particularly young guys. If they start to get beat up a little bit, that's when I'll give them a day. But for me, he's playing a helluva third base and he's putting together a lot of very good at-bats."

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura doubled, walked and stole a base in a 2-for-3 game against Cincinnati Sunday.

Segura has a .359/.406/.588 batting line, trailing just Carlos Gomez for best on the Brewers in all three categories. His stolen base was his 10th, good for fourth in the National League.

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura turned in another big day at the dish Saturday against the Reds. Segura had a season-high four hits in a 13-7 defeat, including his sixth home run of the year off starter Mat Latos in the first inning.

Segura also singled twice and doubled in the loss, finishing 3 for 5 with three runs and an RBI.

He has hit safely in five of the last six games and is batting .423 (11 for 26) with two doubles, two home runs and three RBI over that span.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez broke an 0-for-14 slide in his previous four games with a 2-for-3 game Thursday against the Mets that included a home run, his sixth of the season. His batting average, which had dipped to .168, is now .182.