MLB Player News

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin seems reluctant to trade catcher Jonathan Lucroy and shortstop Jean Segura, even though both players could garner interest at the trade deadline, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

"Those are two tough positions to fill," Melvin said. "I guess you have to be open to everything. But you'd have to be overwhelmed. We have some pretty good shortstops in the system. But they are doing well in the minors (and Segura) is doing well in the majors. Those are positions that can take years to fill. We've got two young ones who are making (little) money."

The Pirates, Mets, Mariners and Padres could all be in the market for shortstop help. However, Melvin suggested it is going to take a pretty good haul for him to part with Segura, who is under team control through 2018.

For just the second time this season, someone not named Evan Longoria will start at third base for the Rays on Thursday. Longoria will be the designated hitter for manager Kevin Cash as the Rays start a four-game series against the Rangers.

Longoria has been hitting the ball well lately, batting over .300 in his last 10 games, including a two-homer night on Wednesday. He'll cede third base duties to Logan Forsythe on Thursday.

With a right-hander slated to toe the rubber for the Royals on Thursday, Indians manager Terry Francona has produced a heavy lefty-hitting lineup.

David Murphy returns to the starting lineup as the designated hitter, while Nick Swisher gets a rest after playing in two straight since returning from a DL stint.

Michael Bourn, who will be benched against lefties for the near future, was back in the lineup batting seventh and playing center field. 

Switch-hitter Jose Ramirez slides in at shorstop to replace Mike Aviles. The Indians' lineup contains just one natural right-handed hitter, catcher Roberto Perez.

The left side of the Athletics infield Thursday in Minnesota will take on a decidedly unusual look. Max Muncy will man third base for the second time all year while Eric Sogard will experience his first start at short in 2015.

Muncy has just one start all year and is 3-for-10 on the season. He is expected to continue at third base when given the opportunity to play. Sogard has been a full-time starter at second base.

Twins outfielder Eduardo Escobar had his best game of the 2015 season in Wednesday night's 13-0 win over the Athletics. 

Escobar went 3 for 4 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning and a two-run double in the seventh. He also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the third. Escobar entered the game with five total RBI for the season and doubled his total with Wednesday's output. 

In three games against the Athletics this series, Escobar has gone 6 for 11 at the plate. 

Escobar is now batting .225/.243/.380. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria had a big night Wednesday, going 2 for 3 with two walks, two solo home runs and three runs scored in his team's 5-3 win over the Red Sox.

Longoria hadn't homered since Opening Day but was able to deliver a pair of home runs Wednesday, posting his first multihomer day since Sept. 25, 2013. His shots came in the fourth and ninth innings, and he added another run scored in the fifth.

Longoria has hit .284/.400/.474 with three home runs and eight RBI in 95 at-bats.

After hitting from the leadoff position in each of the last three games, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado will slide down to the No. 5 spot in the order on Wednesday against the Mets. Machado had just two hits in 12 at-bats from the top of manager Buck Showalter's lineup, though one of those hits was a home run.

Alejandro De Aza was listed as the team's leadoff hitter on Wednesday.

Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders and utility man Danny Valencia are out of the starting lineup again Wednesday against the Yankees, the team announced. 

Saunders has missed the last two games for Toronto after having his knee drained on Monday. Chris Colabello will draw his second start in right. Valencia will miss his second straight game with an ankle sprain.

Giants catcher Buster Posey and third baseman Casey McGehee are out of the starting lineup Wednesday against the Padres, the team announced.

It will be just Posey's second day off of the season after starting 18 straight games for San Francisco. Andrew Susac will fill in for Posey and bat seventh. McGehee is getting a second consecutive day off to clear his head after scuffling at the plate to start the year. Matt Duffy will get his second straight start.

The Giants are currently the favorites (-138) against San Diego.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went 1 for 4 at the plate, but the one was enough to collect his 1,000th career hit as member of the Rays.

Longoria needed 986 games to accomplish the feat and became just the third player in Tampa Bay history with 1,000 hits with the team, joining Carl Crawford and Ben Zobrist.