MLB Player News

In just his second MLB game, Rockies rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado made a big impact in a 12-2 rout of the Dodgers Monday. Arenado, who was 0 for 3 in his debut Sunday, finished 3 for 6 with one home run, two RBI and three runs.

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura homered as part of a 3-for-5 game Monday against Pittsburgh.

Segura scored a run and knocked in two. He finished a double shy of the cycle and is now hitting a tremendous .364/.398/.534 in 88 at-bats. He's been the beneficiary of a load of infield hits this year, but his power showed up in Monday's game, and that's been the biggest difference between Segura in 2013 and Segura in 2012. He slugged just .325 without a home run in 151 at-bats last season.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado joined Brooks Robinson as the only two players 20 years old or younger in Baltimore club history to record four hits in a game when he did it Sunday in a loss to Oakland, MASNSports.com reports. 

Machado went 4 for 5 and Robinson went 4 for 4 on Sept. 25, 1957. 

The 20-year-old is batting .433 (13 for 30) during a seven-game hit streak with five RBI, five runs scored and two stolen bases. He's batting .302 with two homers and 16 RBI over 25 games. 

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson was named American League Player of the Week for the first time in his career Monday, MLB.com reports. 

The 27-year-old went 12 for 22 (.545) last week with seven doubles, 10 RBI, seven walks and four runs scored. He led all AL hitters in doubles and on-base percentage (.633). 

Donaldson's week raised his batting average 73 points from .246 to .319 entering Monday. He also more than doubled his RBI total. 

For the year, Donaldson is batting .319 with two homers, 10 doubles and 18 RBI. 

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson has been walking at a high rate to begin the year.

Donaldson has upped his walk rate from 6.5 percent in 11.5 percent this season. He's also been able to cut down on his strikeouts, from 19.7 percent to 11.5 percent. Donaldson's .346 BABIP suggests his average will fall, but he could still produce a decent average once that evens out.

Most of Donaldson's slugging percentage can be attributed to his doubles-power. Given that he plays in Oakland, it's tough to know whether he'll be able to turn those doubles into home runs this year.

During his college days at Rice, patience was one of Anthony Rendon's greatest attributes as he once drew 80 walks in a season. But the anxiousness the Nationals third baseman displayed in the first four games of his major-league career last week resulted in the rookie chasing bad pitches and failing to draw a walk in his first 15 plate appearances.

Manager Davey Johnson then provided Rendon a two-game break to help recapture his approach at the plate before inserting him back into the lineup Saturday. Since then, the results have been encouraging for Rendon as he's walked three times over his past two games, including twice Sunday.

"You're just staying more relaxed," he told The Washington Post about his quick turnaround. "You're around your element a little bit more. You're used to your surroundings. That's the way baseball is. You just got to get used to everything."

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez has heated up the past couple of days, but that's to be expected given his approach.

Alvarez still has a decent walk rate and an astronomical strikeout rate. His 32.2 percent strikeout rate ranks as the seventh highest in the league. While his average has been limited by a .245 BABIP, he's not a candidate to hit over .245 due to the abundance of strikeouts. His approach makes him a candidate to go on runs like this, but he's not a candidate to improve on last season's performance. 

After scrambling to reach Phoenix following his promotion early Sunday morning, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado made his long-awaited MLB debut later that day against the Diamondbacks. Arenado, who was on the road with Triple-A Colorado Springs in nearby Tucson prior to the call-up, started at third base and went 0 for 3 with a walk while serving as the No. 7 hitter.

"I was nervous," Arenado told The Denver Post. "It was a dream come true. It was a lot of fun to be out there with the guys. I just wish we had won."

The Rockies had pondered recalling Arenado, considered the team's best position prospect since Troy Tulowitzki, over the past week as regular third baseman Chris Nelson floundered. The early promotion means the 22-year-old will reach arbitration sooner, but Colorado management insisted it is not concerned with that future scenario.

"It came to the point where we are trying to put our best club on the field," assistant general manager Bill Geivett said. "You see a player mature on and off the field. And (part of it is) how he responded to not making the club. He went down and showed he was ready. Every decision we make is to try and win games."

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura, who missed Saturday's game with a split nail on the index finger on his right hand, returned to the starting lineup Sunday afternoon against the Dodgers.

Segura slapped a single in the opening frame for his only hit of the day. He finished 1 for 4 in a 2-0 defeat.

Segura has gone 11 for 34 (.324) with five runs scored, six stolen bases and three RBI in his last nine games. He is hitting .349 with one homer and six RBI in 83 at-bats.

A's third baseman Josh Donaldson entered Sunday's series finale against the Orioles with eight RBI in the previous eight contests. He added to that total by going 1 for 3 with two RBI and a pair of walks in the 9-8 win.

The 27-year-old doubled home two in the sixth inning.

Donaldson is batting .483 (14 for 29) in the last nine games.