MLB Player News

It may have been brief, but Nationals prospect Anthony Rendon said his nearly two-week stint with the parent club gave him a glimpse of his future. The 22-year-old Rendon, widely considered the team's top prospect, was sent back to Double-A Harrisburg Friday after Ryan Zimmerman was activated from the disabled list.

"It was awesome," he told The Washington Post. "I think it’s been a good experience. I got a taste of what it’s going to be like ... and I know what to work on when I go back and I know what to look forward to if I get to come back."

After having one hit in his first three games, Rendon reached base in his final four outings and finished with a .240 batting average.

"He's done very well in the field and he’s had some awfully good at-bats," manager Davey Johnson said. "It’s not going to be long before he’s back here. He’s a good player."

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon will be sent down to Double-A Harrisburg after Thursday's game against the Braves, according to the Washington Times. Rendon will travel with the Nationals  to Pittsburgh Friday before joining the team in Harrisburg. Ryan Zimmerman is expected to come off the disabled list to take Rendon's place on the roster.

Rendon closed out his stay with the major-league team with one of his best performances, as he went 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored in a 3-1 win over the Braves.

Rendon batted .240 with a .367 on-base percentage and one extra-base hit in eight appearances. 

A local eye doctor was unable to find anything unusual with Rangers first base prospect Mike Olt, Fox Sports Southwest reports. Olt has been having vision issues, and the next step is for Olt to see an eye specialist.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has been hot over the last few weeks, riding a nine-game hitting streak into Wednesday's action. The only thing missing from his game was a bit of over-the-fence power, which he provided as he extended that streak to 10 games in an 8-2 loss to the Mariners.

Machado hit his third home run of the season -- and first since April 20 -- as part of a 2-for-4 game. His home run was of the solo variety, as he ended the game with one RBI as well as two runs scored. He added a double, his sixth in the last six games.

Machado is now batting .311 on the season, with three home runs and 17 RBI. He has a .349 on-base percentage and .504 slugging percentage. 

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit his fifth home run in the last 13 games on Wednesday afternoon against the Brewers. He took starter Hiram Burgos deep for a solo shot in the second inning and also drove in a run with a single to finish 2 for 4 with two RBI in the 6-4 win.

Alvarez is batting .292 (14 for 48) in the previous 13 contests with 11 RBI and eight runs scored.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez homered as part of a 2 for 4 day in Wednesday's win over Milwaukee.

Alvarez scord a run and hit in two runs on the day. He's starting to rebound from a dreadful start; his .610 OPS is still ugly but it's a far sight better than his .247 mark from two weeks ago.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado pushed his hitting streak to nine games Tuesday with two doubles against the Mariners. Machado is batting .410 (16 for 39) with one triple, five RBI, six doubles and six runs during the streak.

After batting .241 through his first 14 games, Machado hit .368 (21 for 57) in his final 13 April games, raising his batting average to .304.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is one of the most-added players in CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues, with his ownership at 62 percent with his call-up to the majors. Arenado is one of the game's top prospects, but can he live up to the hype?

Arenado had a steady climb through the minors, spending a full season at each level before the organization determined he was ready for the majors after a hot start in Triple-A. Arenado was batting .364 before his call-up, and he has a mature approach at the plate that should lead to solid batting averages. In 1,675 at bats in the minors, Arenado struck out 190 times, with 126 walks. He was able to bat .298 and .285 over his final two full seasons in the minors, despite having batting averages on balls in play below .300 each season.

Arenado is a solid power hitter, but his minor-league career high in home runs was 20, with a two 12-home run seasons sandwiching that one. He should be fine in Coors field, and his gap power should play especially well, but don't expect huge power numbers out of the gate. The Rockies do not have many appetizing options at third base given the struggles of their other players, so Arenado should have a long leash.

Arenado hit a home run and went 3 for 6 in his second game, but he might struggle to get up to speed right away. Arenado's upside makes him more than worth owning, but exercise patience, as with all unproven commodities. 

Rangers prospect Mike Olt is currently having vision issues, Fox Sports Southwest reports Tuesday. Olt will see a specialist. 

The vision issues may explain why he's started the season at Triple-A Round Rock batting .139 over his first 72 at-bats with 32 strikeouts and only nine walks. He's gone 0 for 6 his last two games with three Ks. 

If you ran out and picked up Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez after his six-game run last week, in which he hit .368 with four home runs -- well, the joke's on you. Alvarez is one of the more unpredictable players in MLB, and picking him up after he does something like this is just going to cause headaches. 

Alvarez hit 30 home runs last year, with eight of those coming in multi-homer games (two of those games coming on back-to-back days), two homers coming in a doubleheader, and four homers coming in a one-week span in July. Alvarez doesn't hit homers in streaks -- he hits them in bunches. By the time you notice he's hit three or four and pick him up, he puts that big bat down and gets back to unspooling all the good Fantasy karma he just accrued. 

Alvarez is a decent option for Roto leagues -- over the course of a year he will get the home runs. But trying to work him into a lineup in weekly Head-to-Head formats is maddening, and should be avoided at all costs. If you're starting him, and your team is, say, 3-1, consider yourself a very lucky man.