MLB Player News

Donaldson went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Friday's 8-7 loss to the Red Sox.

The reigning AL MVP now has a modest five-game hitting streak to open the season, and already has gone yard on three occasions. Donaldson's seven RBI also leads the Blue Jays, and he's now homered in two straight contests, and three of the last four games.

Machado was 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the Orioles win over Tampa Bay on Friday night.

Machado now has a pair of home runs - both solo shots - but fantasy owners in leagues with minimal qualifying rules will be happy to hear he played the game at shortstop as Baltimore gave J.J. Hardy a night off. A potent bat by any definition, additional eligibility at a middle infield position will only enhance his value in fantasy circles.

Machado is getting the start at shortstop Friday and hitting third, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports.

The O's are giving J.J. Hardy the day off, so Machado will get the start at shortstop, which gives hope to the notion that he could gain shortstop eligibility in leagues with more liberal qualification rules.

Donaldson is in Friday's lineup as the designated hitter and will bat second, Sportsnet's Barry Davis reports.

All indications were that Donaldson would be able to play Friday, and it was just a matter of whether he would play third base or occupy the DH spot. He may not be at 100 percent, but he is healthy enough to continue to play through any lingering discomfort.

Ramirez is starting in left field and hitting ninth Friday against the White Sox.

So far it appears that Ramirez will hit near the top of the order against righties (usually second) and at the bottom of the order against lefties while serving as the go-to left fielder while Michael Brantley is out. Of course, with shoddy options at the other outfield positions, Ramirez could emerge as a starting option even after Brantley comes back if he continues to hit at a solid clip.

Donaldson did not take ground balls on the new dirt infield at the Rogers Centre on Thursday, but manager John Gibbons expects him to start Friday against the Red Sox, the Toronto Sun reports.

If the third baseman can play Friday, he'll have a nice matchup with Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly on the hill as Donaldson is 8-for-14 against the right-hander in his career. Also, it will be the home opener for the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre, where Donaldson did most of his damage last season, slashing .330/.398/.647 while hitting 24 home runs.

Escobar went 2-for-4 with a double -- his fourth in three games -- and a run scored Thursday against the Twins.

Escobar's cleared 30 doubles in consecutive seasons already, and he's off to a fine start in his pursuit of accomplishing that for the third straight time. If last year's power improvement (he doubled his previous career high in homers with 12) can be sustained, he'll have value as a low-end starting shortstop in deeper mixed leagues.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's win over Minnesota.

The sixth-inning shot was the first for Machado htis season, but it surely won't be the last for the young star, who busted out with 35 long balls last season. It's worth noting that Machado's struck out five times in the first three games of the year, including twice Thursday, but he's also hit safely in each game.

Manager John Gibbons thinks that Donaldson (calf) has a good chance of returning to the lineup Friday and that Donaldson "is feeling better today," Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports.

Donaldson left Wednesday's game against the Rays in the seventh inning due to the ailment, although between the team's off day Thursday and how much the team downplayed the issue, a Friday return for the third baseman is seeming to be more realistic as game-time approaches. Of course, how he's feeling on the day of the game is most important and a start isn't set in stone until the lineup is released, but this development is definitely an encouraging sign for the Blue Jays and Donaldson's fantasy owners.

Manager John Gibbons said Thursday that Donaldson (calf) could be back in the lineup for Toronto's home opener Friday but noted that there won't be further confirmation until closer to game time, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports.

Donaldson remains in a holding pattern for the time being after leaving Wednesday's game when he tweaked his calf during an at-bat. Fortunately, the Blue Jays seem cautiously optimistic that Donaldson's calf injury won't cause him to miss additional time beyond Wednesday's early departure. More information on Donaldson's status should be made available early Friday.