MLB Player News

Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon has returned to the starting lineup Friday.

Rendon sat Thursday in favor of Danny Espinosa. Despite the strong game from Espinosa, Rendon will get his turn to start Friday. Both players are expected to receive playing time this season, and could be in and out of the lineup quite a bit if they continue to produce. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria didn't hit his first home run of the season until the 12th game a year ago, but he didn't feel like waiting that long this time around.

Longoria took Blue Jays reliever Esmil Rogers deep in the seventh inning for a three-run blast to cap off a 7-2 win. He finished the game 2 for 4 with one run scored and three driven in, while striking out in each of his other two at-bats.

Longoria is hitting .400 through the season's first four games, with three runs scored and four driven in. He hit 32 home runs a year ago.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe came up big on several occasions Thursday afternoon against the White Sox in Chicago.

Plouffe trimmed a two-run deficit in half with an RBI single in the seventh inning. He then tied the game with a run-scoring single off Matt Lindstrom in the ninth inning. He finished 2 for 4 with one walk, one run scored and two RBI in a 10-9 victory. He's hitting .533 (6 for 13) with five RBI in three games.

Cubs corner infielder Mike Olt clubbed his first career home run during a 3-2 win Thursday against the Pirates.

Olt, who was playing in his third game for the Cubs and making his 19th MLB appearance, crushed a solo home run to right field leading off the second inning against Wandy Rodriguez. It would be his only hit in three at-bats.

Olt is batting .143 (1 for 7) with three strikeouts through three games.

Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon is not in the team's starting lineup Thursday.

Rendon will be replaced by Danny Espinosa, who will hit seventh. Rendon won the second base job out of camp, but manager Matt Williams has said both players will see playing time at the position.

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura got his first day off in the team's third game, replaced by Jeff Bianchi in Wednesday's lineup against the Braves. Manager Ron Roenicke said he planned to give Segura, who dealt with a shoulder injury late in spring training, extra days off early in season, per MLB.com.

"This was the plan with Segura to make sure we take care of the arm," Roenicke said. "There's been no setbacks, which is great, and I don't want there to be."

Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon connected for a three-run homer in the 10th inning and had a career-high four RBI during a 9-7 win opening day against the Mets. Rendon's other RBI came on a double in the seventh inning.

Rendon, who is in his second season in the majors, hit .289 with a .400 slugging percentage, .753 OPS, one home run, two doubles and six RBI in 16 spring games.

Phillies third baseman Cody Asche went 3 for 4 with one double, one home run, one walk, two RBI and four runs in his team's 14-10 win over the Rangers on Opening Day.

Asche struggled to get going offensively this spring, hitting just .170/.274/.377 in 53 at-bats, but he saved everything for a breakout performance in the team's first game of the 2014 season. He'll need to continue to produce this season with another highly-regarded third-base prospect waiting in the wings in the form of Maikel Franco.

Royals manager Ned Yost said Danny Valencia could be in the starting lineup at third base on the days a left-handed starter is on the hill. However, manager Ned Yost wanted to stress it wasn't because of starting third baseman Mike Moustakas' struggles against left-handed pitchers.

"It's not because I don't think Moose can't hit a tough lefty. It's more trying to keep Danny sharp than it is worrying about Moose hitting against a lefty," Yost said, per MLB.com.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (knee) said Monday he still isn't sure when he will be able to play in a game.

"You want to, but you don't know how this is going to pan out," Machado said of putting a timetable on his return, per MASNsports.com. "The surgery I had for it, you can't put a timetable to it.

"I'm doing some stuff. Not necessarily running, but we're at the point that we need to start strengthening it a little more, just to get back on the ground and start sprinting and getting back to 100 percent. Getting the quads stable enough to continue doing what I've been doing."