MLB Player News

It is closing in on one month since Braves second baseman and leadoff hitter Jace Peterson has experienced back-to-back hitless games.

Three hitless games in a row? Late April.

Consistency continues to mark his season. Peterson is batting .314 (27-for-86) since May 28 with 10 doubles and 13 runs scored. He is also tied for sixth in the National League with three triples and even has 12 walks in 18 games this month.

Peterson boasts a fine slash line of .284/.363/.389 on the year.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado went 2 for 4 during Sunday's win over the Brewers.

Arenado hit his 17th home run of the season on a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Arenado extended his hitting streak to nine games -- He's hitting .371 with two home runs and seven RBI over that stretch.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado recorded a three-hit performance for the second game in a row, and for the fourth time in his last nine games. Machado went 3 for 5 with two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 13-9 win over the Blue Jays.

Over those nine games, Machado is batting .447 with four home runs and 12 RBI. He has also walked six times and struck out just three times in that span.

A matchup against Washington left-hander Gio Gonzales has both outfielder Gregory Polanco and first baseman Pedro Alvarez out of the lineup for the Pirates on Sunday.

Polanco has struggled despite steadier playing time lately. He has just five hits in his last 38 at-bats and is just 5-for-32 against left-handers this season.

Alvarez is on a similar slide. He is batting .167 (5-for-30) since June 6 and is 3-for-21 against southpaws in 2015.

Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon has been benched Sunday against Pittsburgh in favor of Danny Espinosa.

Rendon, who had started every game since June 4, is in a 2-for-16 mini-slump and owns a disappointing slash line on the year of .233/.333/.311.

Indians rookie third baseman Giovanny Urshela is out of the lineup Sunday against Tampa Bay. Mike Aviles is manning the position instead.

Urshela has performed decently since his promotion. He has hit safely in seven of his nine starts and owns a .242/.306/.343 slash line. He has also provided a distinct defensive upgrade.

Phillies left fielder Cody Asche was the lone bright spot in an otherwise meager offensive display on Saturday against the Cardinals. Asche went deep for his third home run of the season, a solo home run which accounted for all of the Phillies' scoring in the 10-1 rout.

The home run was Asche's first since April 22. Asche has generally been struggling at the plate after spending some time in the minor leagues. Since his return on May 29, Asche is batting .200 with 13 strikeouts to just three walks.

"It's not what I expect out of myself, not what I know that I have in me," Asche said, per MLB.com. "That gets frustrating at times. I'm not a .230 hitter, I know that. I'm not going to be. It's just a thing you've got to keep working through. Hopefully they keep trusting me and trusting in my ability. Hopefully tonight is a step in the right direction."

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria blasted his seventh home run of the year in his team's win over the Indians on Saturday.

Longoria went 1 for 3 with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning.

Longoria is now hitting .312 with 10 hits and six RBI over his last nine games.

White-hot Orioles third baseman Manny Machado continued to mash Saturday against Toronto with three hits, including two doubles, one of which scored two runs.

Machado has 10 hits in the last five games and has sweetened his already-sweet slash line to .298/.355/.519. He has 10 multi-hit performances in the last 14 games.

Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar returns to the starting lineup for Saturday's game. 

Escobar will play short for the first time in five games and the 14th time this season. He'll bat eighth in the order.