MLB Player News

Twins outfielder Eduardo Escobar had his best game of the 2015 season in Wednesday night's 13-0 win over the Athletics. 

Escobar went 3 for 4 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning and a two-run double in the seventh. He also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the third. Escobar entered the game with five total RBI for the season and doubled his total with Wednesday's output. 

In three games against the Athletics this series, Escobar has gone 6 for 11 at the plate. 

Escobar is now batting .225/.243/.380. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria had a big night Wednesday, going 2 for 3 with two walks, two solo home runs and three runs scored in his team's 5-3 win over the Red Sox.

Longoria hadn't homered since Opening Day but was able to deliver a pair of home runs Wednesday, posting his first multihomer day since Sept. 25, 2013. His shots came in the fourth and ninth innings, and he added another run scored in the fifth.

Longoria has hit .284/.400/.474 with three home runs and eight RBI in 95 at-bats.

After hitting from the leadoff position in each of the last three games, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado will slide down to the No. 5 spot in the order on Wednesday against the Mets. Machado had just two hits in 12 at-bats from the top of manager Buck Showalter's lineup, though one of those hits was a home run.

Alejandro De Aza was listed as the team's leadoff hitter on Wednesday.

Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders and utility man Danny Valencia are out of the starting lineup again Wednesday against the Yankees, the team announced. 

Saunders has missed the last two games for Toronto after having his knee drained on Monday. Chris Colabello will draw his second start in right. Valencia will miss his second straight game with an ankle sprain.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went 1 for 4 at the plate, but the one was enough to collect his 1,000th career hit as member of the Rays.

Longoria needed 986 games to accomplish the feat and became just the third player in Tampa Bay history with 1,000 hits with the team, joining Carl Crawford and Ben Zobrist.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado went 1 for 4 at the plate in Baltimore's 3-2 loss to the Mets on Tuesday.

Machado did his damage in the eighth inning when he crushed a 1-0 pitch from Bartolo Colon over the left center field wall for a solo home run, his fifth of the season. Machado is now hitting .250 with 13 RBI in 84 at-bats this season.

Blue Jays utility player Danny Valencia was unable to start Tuesday against the Yankees after spraining his ankle Monday. Valencia suffered the injury when he tripped on the stairs walking back from the dugout after Monday's game, per Sportsnet.ca.

Valencia is batting .333 (9 for 27) with three RBI, four doubles and five runs in his last seven games (six starts).

Twins outfielder Eduardo Escobar returned to the starting lineup for Monday's contest against the A's. Escobar was given the day off on Sunday after starting the previous five games. He got the start in left field, batting seventh for manager Paul Molitor.

Escobar, who is batting just .167 on the season, is replacing Oswaldo Arcia in the lineup after he was placed on the 15-day disabled list earlier Monday.

Blue Jays outfielder Danny Valencia was back in the starting lineup on Monday against the Yankees. Valencia, who started in left and batted seventh, was held out the last three games for manager John Gibbons. 

Michael Saunders, who started each of the last two games, began Monday's contest on the bench while dealing with a knee issue, but is available to play off the bench, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said before the game.

In limited action this season, Valencia is batting a crisp .379 with three RBI in 11 games played.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went 3 for 5 at the plate with five RBI in Minnesota' 13-3 win over the White Sox on Sunday.

Plouffe did his damage in the third when he crushed a 1-1 pitch from John Danks over the left field wall for a grand slam, his fifth home run of the season. Plouffe then singled to center in the fourth to drive home Joe Mauer.

Plouffe is now hitting .278 with 15 RBI in 90 at-bats this season.