MLB Player News

The Athletics dropped slumping third baseman Josh Donaldson to sixth in the batting order Sunday. He's mired in a 2-for-40 skid.

"It's just a little bit of a change of scenery, which you do from time to time just to mix things up," manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com. "I talked to him about it [Saturday] night so he was aware. But he hits two, three and four for us, and it won't be long before he's back."

It was Donaldson's first time batting sixth since Aug. 19, 2013. He went 1 for 4 with an RBI, and is hitting .250 with 17 homers and 51 RBI.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is expected to get more X-rays Thursday on his broken left finger, per The Denver Post. The Rockies are expecting to outline a timeframe for Arenado's return following Thursday's exam.

"Everything is pending that X-ray," Rockies trainer Keith Dugger said. "He's done everything he can do. The only things he's not doing is taking groundballs and swinging."

Although Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon had to bat leadoff Sunday at St. Louis in place of the injured Denard Span, he's found a home in the Washington lineup batting second.

In 45 games hitting second, Rendon is batting .269 with a .440 slugging percentage, .773 OPS, three triples, six home runs, seven doubles, 21 RBI and 35 runs.

"I think he's pretty good where he's at," Washington manager Matt Williams said. "He sees a lot of pitches, which contributes to his on-base percentage. He's got the ability to hit the other way, he handles the bat well, he's pretty suited for No. 2. He could lead off if we needed him to lead off. He could probably hit five or six and drive runs in as well, we've seen him do that as well. But I think right now he's a pretty good two-hole hitter.

"He's still pretty young -- last year was his first year, it's not like he's been around 10, but he's handled it fine. He stays on pitches, he hits the breaking ball well, he hits the ball to right field and will move a runner when we need to move a runner, he handles the bat. So it's a pretty good spot for him."

Twins infielder Trevor Plouffe is expected to land on the disabled list Sunday.

Plouffe is dealing with an oblique strain. X-rays came back negative, so the team ruled out any broken ribs. Plouffe is hitting .241/.320/.400 in 245 at-bats.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson was ejected from Saturday's 5-1 win over the Yankees for arguing balls and strikes at the end of the seventh inning after going 0 for 4 at the plate.

Donaldson has been absymal over the last week-plus, going 0 for 29 in his last seven games. After finishing May with a .280/.375/.550 line, the third baseman has now hit .250/.338/.493 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI in 268 at-bats.

X-rays have ruled out broken ribs for Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Plouffe believes he's suffered a bruise or strain in the rib/oblique area. His availability Sunday will depend on how he feels after a night of rest, but he appears unlikely to play. The Twins are expected to make at least one roster move before Sunday's game after suffering multiple injuries Saturday.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI in his team's 7-3 loss to the Astros Saturday.

Longoria kicked off the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning and added a two-run home run in the fifth. Unfortunately for the Rays, the Astros strung together seven runs in between Longoria's key hits, and the Rays' offense wasn't able to add any more runs after the homer. He has hit .265/.330/.396 with eight home runs and 32 RBI in 268 at-bats.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe was forced out of Saturday's game against the Tigers with a left oblique strain, the MLB.com reports.

Plouffe was replaced by Eduardo Nunez in the fourth inning. He is hitting .241/.320/.400 with five homers and 38 RBI in 245 at-bats. His status remains uncertain for Sunday's series finale against the Tigers.

A three-hit Friday night has Orioles third baseman Manny Machado back to the second hole in the lineup for the Saturday game against Toronto.

Machado singled twice and doubled against the Blue Jays to break a 1-for-20 slide. He had batted seventh in the previous three games.

Phillies infielder Cody Asche homered twice to start his rehab assignment Friday with Class A Lakewood.

Asche went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and four RBI in his first game action. He is expected to play in Lakewood until Sunday before joining Triple-A Lehigh Valley for three or four more games before his return to the big-league club.