MLB Player News

Need a sleeper for the second half? Matt Adams, Martin Prado, Manny Machado, J.J. Hardy and C.J. Cron are some of my favorites.

Check out my latest column to find out why.

Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar went 2 for 5 with a solo home run in his team's 9-3 win over the Rockies Saturday.

Escobar has put together back-to-back multihit efforts after going 0 for 15 in his previous four games. Prior to this two-game stretch, the shortstop's last multihit performance came back on June 15. He has hit .263/.303/.394 with three home runs and 19 RBI in 251 at-bats.

The Padres optioned pitcher Jesse Hahn to Triple-A El Paso Saturday and recalled infielder Jace Peterson.

The team brought an extra infielder into the fold while Tommy Medica deals with an injury. Hahn, who won for the fifth time in his last six starts Friday, is expected to return to the team after the All-Star break. He owns a 2.21 ERA and 47:16 K:BB ratio in 40 2/3 innings.

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura was placed on the bereavement list Saturday, the team announced. Segura will miss an undetermined amount of time while in the Dominican Republic after suffering a loss in his family, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. 

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez homered for the second time in four games Friday, in a 6-5 loss to the Reds.

Alvarez had just one hit in the game, a three-run home run that gave the Pirates the lead in the fourth. He finished the game 1 for 3 with a walk, one run scored and three driven in during the loss.

Alvarez has two home runs in 11 July games, and is hitting .242/.306/.455 in 33 at-bats during the month. 

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson celebrated being named to the Home Run Derby by launching his 20th home run of the season Thursday afternoon against the Giants in San Francisco. It took him until Sept. 4 of last year to reach 20 home runs.

Donaldson took starter Tim Lincecum deep for a two-run home run in the sixth inning. He finished 2 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and two RBI in a 6-1 win. He is hitting .241 with 65 RBI in 353 at-bats.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado is 8 for 10 with a double, two homers and three RBI in two games against the Nationals this week, notes MASNSports.com. He's 12 for 21 since returning from his suspension.

Over his last eight games, Machado has five homers, giving him nine this season in 234 at-bats.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez went deep for the first time in eight games Tuesday, in a 5-4 loss to the Cardinals.

Alvarez had just one hit as he went 1 for 4 in the game, but he made it count. Alvarez clubbed a two-run home run in the fourth inning to open the scoring for Pittsburgh, though it was his only contribution in the loss.

Alvarez is hitting .240/.326/.412 with 14 home runs in 88 games. 

With another home run Monday, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado now has four in his last seven games. He's batting .404 (19 for 47) in his last 11 and beginning to show the potential that had everyone so excited before his knee surgery late last season and ugly encounter with the Athletics a few weeks ago.

At age 22, he's only begun to scratch the surface of his potential -- potential so great that it earned him comparisons to Alex Rodriguez when he was drafted back in 2010.

Obviously, he doesn't deserve as much trust as Josh Donaldson, Adrian Beltre or even Todd Frazier, but if you're stuck at 5-9 and need to make some magic happen to move up in the standings, trading one of those more established types for, say, Brandon Moss or Alex Gordon along with Machado, knowing his big breakout could potentially come this year, might be worth the gamble.

Again, I'm not saying Machado is as valuable as Donaldson, Beltre or Frazier yet, but he has a chance to get there. And depending on your specific circumstances, it could be a game-changer for you.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado enjoyed a breakout offensive performance Monday, going 5 for 6 with a double and a two-run home run in his team's 8-2, 11-inning win over the Red Sox.

Machado's blast was the third of the 11th inning and put a cap on his biggest performance of the season. He has put together three straight multi-hit games, and Monday's five-hit night raised his batting average 15 points on its own. He has hit .261/.308/.404 with eight home runs and 19 RBI in 230 at-bats.