MLB Player News

The Phillies recalled outfield/third baseman Cody Asche from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Asche was sent to the minors on May 11 to work in the outfield. He hit .295 with one home run, three doubles, three RBI, six walks and nine strikeouts in 15 games. He played all 15 games in left field.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado was ejected in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the White Sox. In the bottom of the eighth, Machado was called out on a check-swing strike three, and proceeded to slam his bat on the ground in front of home plate umpire Tony Basner. Basner immediately ejected Machado.

"Manny just reacted to a checked swing," manager Buck Showalter said after the game, per MASNSports.com. "Wanted him to check and he didn't and reacted strong enough to get thrown out of the game. You all saw it." 

It was Machado's third strikeout of the game, as he went 0 for 4 on the afternoon. Ryan Flaherty replaced him at third base in the ninth. 

Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon was able to play five innings of an extended spring training game on Wednesday, manager Matt Williams said per The Washington Post.

Rendon, who is working his way back from an oblqiue strain, took a couple of at-bats and played in the field for all of the innings after his second at-bat. 

"It's important. It helps you get your legs under you," Williams said. "…there's no way to simulate that other than to play. He felt good. His legs felt good."

Rendon is scheduled to get the day off on Thursday and the team will re-evaluate his health.

Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez has worked on becoming more than just a hitter that likes to pull pitches this season. 

Wanting to change this, Alvarez has been working before games to break the habit of trying to pull pitches on the outside corner of the plate, according to MLB.com. 

"The approach has always been the same," Alvarez said. "I just think it's a combination of seeing pitches out there and being able to put good swings on them and executing the swing to the pitch."

In Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Marlins, Alvarez was able to record an RBI opposite-field single in the seventh inning during his team's rally to win. 

"The work he is doing before the game and in the cage is transferring to the game. That's the biggest part," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Our guys have found a way to slow themselves down to a better pace, a much more workable pace, the last week or so. Pedro in particular."

Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu extended his hitting streak to 10 games with two singles during Wednesday's game against the Reds. He also had a walk and one run.

LeMahieu is batting .405 (15 for 37) with one triple, one home run and seven RBI in his last 10 games. He has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado connected for his 10th home run during a 6-4 win Wednesday against the Reds. Arenado wasted no time getting Colorado on the board, as he parked a two-out, three-run homer off Mike Leake in the first inning.

Arenado finished the game 2 for 4 with one strikeout. He has homered three times in his last four games.

He is 9 for 16 (.563) with one triple, three home runs and 10 RBI in his last four games after batting .177 (11 for 62) with one home run, three doubles and four RBI in his previous 17 games.

Josh Donaldson did it again. For the second straight game, the Blue Jays third baseman blasted a ninth-inning home run off White Sox closer David Robertson. This time, the solo home run tied the game at three, but the White Sox would come back to win in the 10th inning.

"Cutter, just this one was a little bit up," Donaldson said of the pitch from Robertson that led to the game-tying homer, per MLB.com. "From my at-bat earlier, I hit a fly ball to right field that I thought I hit pretty well, and I figured I should try and pull it."

The home run, Donaldson's 13th of the season, was his only hit of the game. He now has eight hits over his last five games as his season average sits at .314.

The Pirates will face off against the Marlins with a number of moves whithin their lineup.

Catcher Francisco Cervelli, first baseman Pedro Alvarez and right fielder Gregory Polanco -- all regulars in the lineup -- will not start on Wednesday. 

Alvarez went 1 for 4 with an RBI in his team's 5-1 win on Tuesday, but left four runners on base. Cervelli struck out twice and left two runners stranded. Polanco will be out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went 2 for 4, continuing his hot hitting in Tuesday's win over Boston. 

Plouffe has hit in four straight, with multi-hit games in the last three. He drove in a run, his 26th. It's his fourth game with an RBI in the last five. 

Plouffe added his ninth double of the season. 

Giants second baseman Matt Duffy hit his third home run of the season to help lead the Giants to a 6-3 win over the Brewers on Tuesday.

The two-run home run was hit off Matt Garza in the fourth inning and it was his only hit in four at-bats during the game. Over his last seven games, Duffy is 9 for 30 with two home runs and six RBI.