MLB Player News

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura is hitting at a torrid pace to open the season.

Segura has been used primarily near the top of the order this year, and has rewarded manager Ron Roenicke with his play. Segura is showing the same strikeout and walk rates he displayed last season, but has also shown a little more power. He's not a threat to club a ton of home runs, but he's capable of using his speed to leg out doubles and triples.

Segura has also been a little lucky with a .400 BABIP thus far. Like most .359 hitters, his average is going to drop. But considering he's hitting at the top of a strong lineup, and has displayed solid skills, he should remain an above-average Fantasy asset when his numbers even out. 

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and a walk during Oakland's 9-6 loss at Boston Monday night. Donaldson, who also scored twice, drove in two runs on his double in the eighth inning, his fifth two-base hit overall this season.

The 27-year-old was back in the lineup against the Red Sox after sitting out the previous outing, the first time he did not start a game for the Athletics this season. He is now hitting .264.

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon collected his first career hit and RBI in Monday's series opener against the Cardinals. He drove in Ian Desmond with an opposite-field double in the fourth inning and finished 1 for 4 in a 3-2 loss.

"It is the one thing you are going to cherish for the rest of your life," Rendon told MASNSports.com. "You don't get another one. The second one doesn't count as much as the first one. It is just a memory in the back of your head."

Rendon, filling in for the injured Ryan Zimmerman, has gone 1 for 8 with four strikeouts in two games.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez continued his recent power surge on Monday night against the Phillies. He went 2 for 4 with a home run in a 3-2 loss.

The 26-year-old took starter Jonathan Pettibone deep for a solo shot in his first at-bat before reaching on an infield single in the seventh inning.

Alvarez has gone 5 for 15 (.333) in his last five games with three homers and four RBI.

After the Nationals promoted top prospect Anthony Rendon to take the place of injured third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on Sunday, the only uncertainty surrounding him is his playing time once the All-Star slugger returns. Manager Davey Johnson emphatically offered his point of view on the matter prior to Monday's series opener against St. Louis.

"I don't care if he hits .900, there's no way (he's) beating out Ryan Zimmerman," Johnson told The Washington Post about Rendon, who was slotted sixth in the batting order for the second straight game.

There's little question Anthony Rendon can slide right into the Nationals lineup and be a competent -- if not great -- major league player. He may not offer a lot of home runs or steals, but he has solid plate discipline and could produce a high OPS. 

Rendon has one major problem, however: a playing time crunch. Once Ryan Zimmerman returns from his DL stint, there's little the Nats can do to keep Rendon in the lineup. It's the same quagmire faced by Evan Gattis owners, but with a less optimistic outlook -- Gattis will at least play from time to time at catcher (while possibly rotating in at first base and outfield). With a stacked Washington infield, Rendon, like fellow time-crunched teammate Tyler Moore, would be lucky to get five at-bats a week.

Still, without getting too glib -- these things tend to work themselves out. Zimmerman's injury may be re-aggravated in his rehab. Adam LaRoche or Danny Espinosa may get hurt. Zimmerman owners and those Fantasy players looking to solidify their corner infield spot for the next two weeks (Pedro Alvarez owners, perhaps?) may want to look into Rendon as a short-term alternative. While he may not last deep into May, he should be a decent option until then. 

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe started his 15th straight game Sunday against White Sox. Plouffe is one of three Twins' position players, joining Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, to start every game this season.

Unfortunately, Plouffe is mired in a 0-for-12 slump, which has dropped his season average (.196) below the Mendoza Line. Plouffe has just two home runs and four RBI in 51 at-bats.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria reached on an error and doubled Sunday against the Athletics to extend his on-base streak to 18 games. It's the third-longest streak to start a season in franchise history, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Longoria's feat trails Rocco Baldelli's franchise-best 24-game streak and Jorge Cantu's 20-game streak.

"For the most part, he's kept his strike zone organized," manager Joe Maddon said. "And as long as he does, he'll hit the ball consistently well all year."

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and committed an error during his major-league debut in Washington's 2-0 loss to the Mets on Sunday. Selected sixth overall in the 2011 draft out of Rice, Rendon was called up from Double-A Harrisburg to fill in for injured third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.

It's very interesting to see that as good as Brewers shortstop Jean Segura has been to begin the season, he's still only the 12th-highest Fantasy scoring shortstop in standard Head-to-Head leagues. A lack of home runs and RBI are certainly holding Segura back and probably will all season.

Though, Segura is still worth holding onto in Fantasy because he's a good enough contact hitter that he could use his speed to leg out extra-base hits. Let's not forget his most valuable contribution this season could end up being his stolen-base total. It's just that Segura probably won't break into the upper echelon of Fantasy shortstops because of his lack of home run power and RBI production.