MLB Player News

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went 3 for 4 with his 20th homer in a win over the Red Sox on Thursday.

It's nice to see Longoria hit that milestone, but his numbers are still lagging well behind those of the top third basemen in fantasy. This year was probably the last time we'll see fantasy owners pay a steep price for Longoria, as he's been consistently proving over the last two years that he doesn't belong in the upper echelon of hitting talent.

White Sox third baseman Mike Olt (shoulder) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees, according to CSN's Dan Hayes. 

Olt will be held out Thursday after exiting the previous day's game with shoulder discomfort. It's not clear if the setback will cost him further action, but Tyler Saladino will man the hot corner for the White Sox on Thursday night.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura said third baseman Mike Olt felt his shoulder 'go a bit numb' during Wednesday's game, the Chicago Tribune reports. 

The discomfort made it difficult for Olt to throw, so he left Wednesday's game in the fifth inning. He should be considered day to day moving forward, with Tyler Saladino and Gordon Beckham the likely candidates to replace him at third base.

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson went 3 for 4 with his 40th double and a run scored against the Yankees on Wednesday.

It just seems like Donaldson does something to help fantasy owners every single day, so it's no surprise that he's among the leaders in the race to be named MVP of the American league. This is already his first season clearing 40 doubles, 100 RBI and 100 runs, and Donaldson's next long ball will give him his first 40-homer campaign.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado went 1 for 4 with his 30th homer -- a two-run shot -- against the Nationals on Wednesday.

Machado's career high in homers entering this season was just 14, but he hit a dozen in half a season last year, portending this season's power breakout. The great thing is, at age 23, Machado hasn't even entered his best years.

White Sox third baseman Mike Olt left Wednesday's game with discomfort in his right shoulder. 

Gordon Beckham came in to replace him, but it remains to be seen how or when Olt may have been injured. More information regarding the severity of the injury should be available after the game.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went 1 for 4 with a solo homer in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Angels.

Plouffe's hitting streak has reached 10 games, and he is on pace to match or exceed his 2015 monthly high of five homers, set back in May. The third baseman also retains a chance at matching his career-high of 24 round-trippers set in 2012, and his solo shot on Saturday catapulted him past 80 RBI for the first time in his major-league tenure.

Indians third baseman Giovanny Urshela, who sat for the second straight game Saturday, is nursing a shoulder injury that figures to limit his playing time down the stretch, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Urshela isn't doing much good when he is in the lineup, hitting just .222 with six homers on the season, and figures to sit more often than not in the final weeks of the season.

Indians third baseman Giovanny Urshela is out of the lineup Saturday against the White Sox.

Urshela is sitting for the second consecutive night, as manager Terry Francona has elected to give Chris Johnson the start at third base. The rookie has had a tough go in his first exposure to the majors, posting an on-base percentage of .278 and providing only 14 extra-base hits in 257 at-bats. He could lose more time to Johnson and Jose Ramirez at the hot corner over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia had a monstrous game on Friday, as he went 3 for 3 with two homers, a walk, and three RBI in a 4-3 win over the Astros.

It was shocking to see the Blue Jays designate Valencia for assignment in early August, so the A's came in and swooped him for the future. Valencia has put together a very nice season, as he has a .288 average to go along with 16 homers and 60 RBI in just 295 at-bats. Most fantasy circles think of Valencia as a lefty-killer, but he actually has better numbers off righties this season and he's shown his versatility all season long.