MLB Player News

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."

I'm not quite convinced Fantasy owners need to rush Orioles third baseman Manny Machado into their lineups for Week 4 (April 22-28). 

Machado has been on a good run the last few weeks, batting .302 (16 for 53) with two home runs, four doubles, 10 runs and 10 RBI in 13 games. But basically that surge takes him back to where his numbers were last season. His slash line through 17 games (.268/.307/.423/.729) is pretty similar to what he produced last year (.262/.294/.445/.739). It's also pretty close to what he did in the minors (.263/.344/.432/.776).

I have no doubt Machado has a bright future in the majors, but don't forget he's only 20 years old. Not every elite prospect is in the mold of Bryce Harper or Mike Trout. Many of them have ups and downs before hitting their stride.

I just don't think Machado is ready for his breakout run, so I would continue to temper expectations.

After going 0 for 4 in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Dodgers, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado made up for it in the nightcap. He went 3 for 4 with a homer, four RBI and a pair of runs scored in the 6-1 win.

The 20-year-old singled in the third inning before driving in Nate McLouth with a double in the fifth. Then in the sixth, he launched a three-run bomb off starter Josh Beckett.

"He just left it a little up and I just took advantage of that," Machado told MASNSports.com. "It's been awhile since I had a good game, had a couple of games with an 0-fer. We had two good games today and now we try to come out tomorrow and get another one."

Machado is batting .311 (14 for 45) in the last 10 contests with two home runs and 10 RBI.

"You know I just think the more at-bats I get the more comfortable I feel at the plate," he said. "It comes with experience, this game is all about experience."

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria hit his fourth home run in his last five games Friday night against the A's.

Longoria's two-run home run came off reliever Evan Scribner in the fourth inning. He finished 1 for 4 with two runs in an 8-3 victory. Longoria is hitting .281/.364/.509 with four home runs and nine RBI in 57 at-bats.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria had another solid night at the plate as he homered for the third time in the last four games during Thursday's series finale against the Orioles.

Longoria took starter Miguel Gonzalez deep in the first inning for a solo shot. He finished 1 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI in a 10-6 defeat in extras.

Longoria has gone 4 for 17 with three homers, four runs scored and four RBI in his last four games. He is hitting .283/.371/.472 over his first 53 at-bats.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson went 0 for 4 out of the fifth spot in the lineup Wednesday, leaving eight men on base in his team's 7-5 win over the Astros.

Donaldson, who has played every inning at third base for the A's this season, hit fifth for just the third time this year. The hitless day lowered his season line to .242/.299/.419 with two home runs in 67 plate appearances.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado produced an RBI double Tuesday against the Rays. It was his third double and sixth RBI.

Machado has hit safely in six of his last seven games, batting .310 (9 for 29) with one home run, two doubles and five RBI. He hit just .192 (5 for 26) with one double and one RBI in his first six games.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria homered for the second straight game Tuesday at Baltimore. Longoria is batting .273 (6 for 22) with two home runs, three runs, four RBI and five walks during the first seven games of the team's current road trip.

The Rays have juggled their lineup the past few days, moving third baseman Evan Longoria from the cleanup spot to third and then back to fourth in the order Tuesday, in an attempt to jumpstart his bat, and subsequently, their offense.

Longoria is batting .300, but has just one extra-base hit in his first 40 at-bats. As a result of his surprisingly light bat, Longoria has just four RBI. Fantasy owners have to be frustrated about Longoria's slow start because he was drafted to be one of the premier run producers. The best advice we can give to Fantasy owners worried about Longoria's empty average so far this season comes to us courtesy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, emblazoned in big, bold letters: "DON'T PANIC".

Longoria is batting .353 with runners on base through the first 12 games, but has yet to sock an extra-base hit in those situations. For his career, Longoria has been a much better batter with runner's on base, increasing his batting average from .259 with the bases empty to .296. And his extra-base hit woes have never been an issue, as he has one extra-base hit every 7.6 at-bats, compared to once ever 8.0 at-bats overall

Longoria's RBI total has been down over the past two years, after posting back-to-back 100-RBI seasons in 2009-2010. But his per-game production has remained top-notch in that span, leaving little reason for Fantasy owners to think this is a meaningful trend. All-Star talents generally don't turn into slap hitters overnight at the age of 27. Don't be surprised if Longoria posts a few multi-RBI games in the next few days to assuage your fears. 

The Rays moved third baseman Evan Longoria down in the order to the cleanup spot Tuesday in Baltimore, MLB.com reports. Manager Joe Maddon continues to tinker with the lineup after Longoria had hit third in the previous four games. 

Longoria, batting .300, hit his first home run -- and extra-base hit of any kind -- Monday in Boston. He has four RBI after 40 at-bats with 11 strikeouts. 

He's gone 2 for 13 (.154) batting third in the order and 10 for 27 (.370) in the cleanup spot.