MLB Player News

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez was a one-man wrecking crew during Thursday's 5-3 win at Cincinnati. Alvarez accounted for all five of the team's RBI.

Alvarez plated one run on a single in the third inning, another run on a solo homer in the sixth and three more runs on a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning, which broke open a 2-all game. Alvarez, who went 3 for 4, entered play Thursday mired in a 6-for-30 slump in his previous eight games.

Alvarez now has six home runs and 19 RBI in 18 June games.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria had three singles in a 6-2 win over the Red Sox Wednesday.

Longoria was 3 for 5 with a run and RBI. He is hitting .304/.362/.539 in 280 at-bats. 

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado had another multi-hit game Tuesday in Detroit. Machado became the first player to 100 base hits this season with two in the 5-2 win. 

Machado, who leads the majors with 101 hits, went 2 for 5 with yet another double as he continues to lead the majors in two-baggers by a wide margin with 33. He's batting .324 and has five homers, 37 RBI and 46 runs scored. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria will play third base in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader at Boston, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Longoria felt fine after starting at third in the opener. 

Longoria, who had been limited to playing designated hitter while he was dealing with plantar fasciitis, went 0 for 3 with a walk and a run scored in the 5-1 loss to the Red Sox in the opener. He's batting .303 on the year. 

The Nationals continue to entertain the idea of bringing back Danny Espinosa to play second base though top prospect Anthony Rendon has hit .410 (16 for 39) with a homer, six doubles and a 1.093 OPS in his absence, which probably has some Rendon owners worried that they're about to get the rug pulled out from under them.

My response: Why worry?

I don't mean about anything ever. I just mean that this particular situation doesn't warrant it. The Nationals already have said Espinosa has to start producing before he gets back, and so far, he's hititng as poorly on his minor-league rehab assignment as he did in the majors, going 2 for 13. I don't see how it gets better. He's playing with a rotator cuff and a bone chip in his wrist. I understand he wants to play and thinks he can, but every body (not to mention everybody) has its limits.

The Nationals may not consider Espinosa a lost cause for this season, but to me, it's such a likely scenario that, for the sake of having high-end production at second base, I prefer to hold on to Rendon and hope for the best.

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa (wrist) continues to make progress during his minor-league rehab assignment, meaning the team could soon be forced to make a roster decision. But Anthony Rendon's emergence at second base makes it a tougher than expected decision for the Nationals, who expected Espinosa to resume his duties at second base once healthy.

"Now that Danny is healthy he needs to go ahead and show what he is capable of doing," manager Davey Johnson said Monday, per The Washington Post. "He certainly has the talent to do it. What Rendon is doing doesn’t have any bearing on what he is doing. He needs to get comfortable on both sides of the dish and do the things he is capable of doing. I know he is handling it defensively. Is he in a good frame of mind? Is he getting in a good groove left and right? And not worry about anything other than that.”

General manager Mike Rizzo said previously Espinosa, who hit .158 prior to going on the DL, could end up in the minors once he's ready to return and it's becoming a real possibility thanks to Rendon, who is batting .344 in 18 games.

"I don’t think there’s a better defensive second baseman in the league than Danny Espinosa," Johnson said. "But the one thing we want is Danny to be comfortable on both sides of the dish. And when he does that, he could be All-Star. It’s that simple."

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria is ready to play the field again. Longoria is slated to play third during game one of the team's doubleheader against the Red Sox.

Longoria had been limited to playing designated hitter while he was dealing with plantar fasciitis. The injury was not thought to be serious, and Longoria was able to shake it after a few days coming off the bench. Longoria is hitting .306/.365/.552 in 268 at-bats. 

Rockies rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado managed an RBI for a third straight game and hit safely for the 10th time in 11 games Sunday against the Phillies. Arenado is batting .396 (19 for 48) with one home run, two triples, four doubles, six runs and seven RBI in his last 11 games.

Arenado's batting average has risen from .221 to .268 during his recent 11-game run. Prior to his hot streak, Arenado hit .190 (19 for 100) over a 28-game stretch from May 7-June 4, which dropped his average from .323 to .221.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson entered Sunday's game against the Mariners mired in a 2-for-25 slump in his previous six games, which dropped his average from .329 to .305. His performance Sunday, however, could signal Donaldson is ready to snap out of his mini-slide.

Donaldson doubled, hit a solo home run and scored twice in a 10-2 rout of Seattle. Donaldson hit his second June home run and compiled his fifth multi-hit game this month. Donaldson is batting .254 (15 for 59) with two doubles and 10 RBI in 14 June games.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit his 15th home run of the year Sunday against the Dodgers.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Alvarez hit a three-run home run on the sixth pitch of his at-bat against Zack Greinke. Alvarez is now hitting .213/.283/.454 in 207 at-bats.