MLB Player News

Nationals rookie Anthony Rendon continued his offensive surge Sunday at Cleveland, producing a second straight three-hit performance and extending his hitting streak to 10 games, dating back to May 2. Rendon had his seventh double Sunday.

Rendon is batting .461 (18 for 39) with one home run, five RBI, six runs and six doubles during his 10-game hitting streak. He has obviously hit safely in all nine games since his recall in early June.

Nationals rookie Anthony Rendon said Sunday he's getting more comfortable playing second base and is learning the nuances of the position from hitting coach Rick Eckstein, who is one of two infield coaches for Washington.

"It has been working great. I'm trying to get feedback from anybody that could help me out," Rendon said, per MLB.com. "You never stop learning from this game. That's the crazy thing. I'm trying to do too much. I'm just trying to make the plays."

Eckstein said Rendon has done a nice job transitioning from third base to second base, but he's still learning the position. He's committed two errors in eight games at second base.

"He just has to be out there and play," Eckstein said. "The other day, we had a situation where there was a potential play at the plate, and he wanted to make sure he was in the right spot. We confirmed to him that he was in the right spot. We want to make sure he is backing up the right way, and him and [shortstop Ian Desmond] work together. The more he is out there, the more he is going to learn."

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado had another multiple-hit game Saturday night against Boston. It was his fourth straight multi-hit contest and it extended his current hitting streak to 13 games.

Machado has gone 18 for 57 (.316) over that stretch with six doubles, six RBI and seven runs scored. The doubles are what are setting Machado apart this season. Machado is leading the majors by a wide margin in doubles with 31. 

His 30 doubles over his first 68 games played this season put him in some very rare company. Machado's 30 doubles over his first 68 games are the most by any player under the age of 22 since 1920. That tops Ted Williams' 25 in 1939 and Joe DiMaggio's 24 in 1936. Machado is currently on pace to shatter the major league record for doubles in a season. 

Machado leads the major leagues in hits with 97 as Miguel Cabrera's 92 are second. He has 36 RBI and a .324 batting average to go with it. 

Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon hit his first major-league home run in the ninth inning to lift his club to a 7-6 win over the Indians Saturday night.

The rookie homered off Vinnie Pestano to break a 6-6 tie. He fell a triple shy of the cycle as he finished 3 for 5 with two runs scored and a RBI. He is hitting .333 with six RBI in 57 at-bats in the majors.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe fell a triple shy of the cycle as he homered, doubled and drove home three runs in his first game back from the disabled list Saturday against the Tigers.

Plouffe hit a two-run home run in the fourth and singled in a run in the seventh inning. He finished 3 for 3 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBI in a 6-3 victory. He's hitting .270 with five homers and 20 RBI in 137 at-bats.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson (hamstring) returned to the lineup Saturday against the Mariners. He was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in a 4-0 loss.

Donaldson 1 for his last 21. He is hitting .305 with nine home runs and 42 RBI in 68 games.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson returned to the lineup Saturday against the Mariners. Donaldson said Friday that his injured hamstring feels better and that he was ready to return. 

Donaldson enters with just one hit over his last four games spanning 17 at-bats.  

The Twins activated third baseman Trevor Plouffe from the 15-day disabled list after Friday's loss to the Tigers. Plouffe last played on May 21 and has endured two DL stints since, one for a concussion and the most recent trip for a calf injury.

Plouffe has hit .254/.333/.425 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 134 at-bats this season. He was 3 for 10 with one home run during his minor-league rehab assignment.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado picked up two doubles as part of a 3-for-4 game against the Red Sox Friday, giving him 30 doubles on the season. He has nine more doubles than the six players tied for second in the category.

Machado has hit .322/.355/.488 with five home runs and 35 RBI this season.

The knotting in Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson's hamstring has subsided, and he expects to be back in the team's lineup Saturday against the Mariners, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Donaldson was out of the lineup Friday after injuring his hamstring in Thursday's extra-innings game against the Yankees. He has just one hit in 17 at-bats over his last four games.