MLB Player News

Red Sox shortstop prospect Xander Bogaerts continues to dominate Double-A pitching. He has a seven-game hitting streak dating to April 22.

Bogaerts is hitting .400 (8 for 30) over the stretch with a homer, double and three triples. His overall line is .320/.394/.464 in 97 at-bats. Bogaerts was the eighth-best prospect in baseball entering the season according to Baseball America and will be worth watching as he continues to push through the minors.

Dodgers infielder Dee Gordon has been taking ground balls at second base, according to Los Angeles Times.

Gordon has been taking ground balls at second the past two days. Dodgers regular second baseman Mark Ellis has been out the past few days with a strained quadriceps. The injury is not considered to be serious, though it could land him on the disabled list. Gordon has primarily been used as a shortstop in the minors.  

Diamondbacks shortstop Cliff Pennington had a productive night at the plate in Wednesday's series finale against the Giants. He went 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBI in the 9-6 loss.

The 28-year-old hit a three-run homer off starter Tim Lincecum in his first at-bat for his first long ball of the year. He doubled home Eric Chavez in the sixth inning.

Pennington has collected at least one hit in four straight games and has gone 6 for 13 (.462) during that stretch.

Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada tried to play the hero Monday against the Marlins by plating the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the top of the 15th inning, but Miami scored twice in the bottom of the inning to steal a 4-3 win. Tejada collected a season-high three hits in six at-bats.

Tejada is batting .391 (9 for 23) with two RBI, three walks, three doubles and three runs during a six-game hitting streak. He's raised his season average from .210 to .259 during the hitting streak.

Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada clubbed a pair of doubles while hitting out of the leadoff spot during Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Phillies. Tejada, who was back atop the lineup after Mike Baxter served in that position the past two games, finished 2 for 3 with a walk.

His two doubles increased his total to seven on the season -- the only extra-base hits he has recorded. Sunday marked the fourth time he hit from the No. 1 spot in the batting order and he improved his average to .307 from the position.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford continued his recent hot hitting ways in Wednesday's series finale against the Diamondbacks. He went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBI in a 3-2 loss.

The 26-year-old singled to lead off the fifth inning before driving in Gregor Blanco with a double in the seventh. Then in the bottom of the ninth with his team trailing by one, Crawford launched a game-tying, solo shot off David Hernandez. It was his fourth long ball.

Crawford is batting .320 (24 for 75) with 10 RBI.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford made his 22nd consecutive start on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks as he and Hunter Pence have been the only two players to start every game for San Francisco.

He entered the contest batting .296 with eight homers and eight RBI through 71 at-bats.

"A couple of years ago I was in and out of the lineup," Crawford told MLB.com. "Last year I was in there a lot of the time then kind of toward the end I started getting platooned. Being in there every day, it's good for the confidence, it's good for getting into a little rhythm."

Manager Bruce Bochy added that he hopes the 26-year-old sees more than 150 starts this season.

"He's our shortstop. He's a very gifted shortstop," Bochy said. "He's young. He can handle it, going out there every day. This is part of being an everyday regular player, especially when you're the shortstop. Those guys usually run out there more than anybody."

Red Sox shortstop prospect Xander Bogaerts managed his fifth multi-hit game in his last eight outings Tuesday for Double-A Portland, raising his batting average to .395 (17 for 43) in his last 10 games. Bogaerts has a .311/.378/.405/.783 slash line through 17 games, while adding two triples, three doubles, six RBI and 11 runs.

Mets manager Terry Collins moved Ruben Tejada into the leadoff spot Tuesday against the Dodgers for the first time this season. In 87 career games as a leadoff hitter, Tejada is batting .286 with a homer, 21 doubles, 21 walks, 25 RBI, 39 runs and three stolen bases.

Tejada enters Tuesday in a 0-for-11 slump, dropping his season average from .271 to .220.

Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada went 0 for 3 in his return to the starting lineup during a 2-0 win over Washington on Sunday. Tejada, who was held out of the lineup for the first time Saturday because of a minor ankle issue, is now 0 for 11 in his past four games to drop his batting average to .220.

The 23-year-old also made a nifty stop to his left in the seventh inning to retire Kurt Suzuki -- an encouraging sign as he is currently tied for the major-league lead with six errors.