MLB Player News

Evan Longoria was held hitless for the fourth straight game, as he went 0 for 4 with a strikeout in the Rays' loss to the Angels on Thursday.

Longoria's batting average fell to .267.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson was part of a barrage of 21 Oakland hits in his team's 14-4 win over the Tigers Wednesday, going 3 for 4 with one double, two RBI and two runs.

It was the seventh time this season Donaldson had at least three hits in a game, but the first time he accomplished the feat in August. He owns a .295/.372/.479 line with 19 home runs and 77 RBI as he contnues to play an integral role in the A's offense.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson will hit second against the Tigers Tuesday.

Donaldson has been used as a middle-of-the-order hitter lately, but will get a chance to move up in the order. He's hitting .291/.370/.476 in 471 at-bats. Donaldson is facing off against Justin Verlander. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria will serve as the club's designated hitter Monday against the Royals. 

Longoria will be replaced by Kelly Johnson at third. Longoria is hitting .276/.351/.526 in 479 at-bats. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria did all he could to beat the Yankees Sunday. It wasn't enough in the 3-2 extra-inning loss. 

Longoria drove in both Tampa Bay runs in the game with his solo homer off Ivan Nova in t he sixth inning and an RBI single in the first. 

The HR was the 28th of the year for Longoria, who finished 2 for 5 with two RBI. He has 71 runs driven in on the year for the Rays. 

Longoria has gone 6 for 13 over his last three contests with a home run in each game and five RBI over that span. 

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson homered Sunday during a 10-3 loss at Baltimore. Donaldson went deep in the eighth inning for a two-run blast. 

Donaldson hit his 19th home run Sunday as he finished 1 for 2 with two walks. He drove in two runs and is batting .292. He added his third stolen base of the season. 

The 27-year-old Donaldson has 74 RBI on the year for Oakland. He's homered twice in his last five games with five runs driven in over that stretch. 

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went 3 for 4 with a double and his 27th home run in his team's 4-2 win over the Yankees Saturday. It was the second straight game in which Longoria has homered, and he's hit a total of five home runs in his last nine games.

Longoria owns a .274/.350/.521 line with 27 home runs and 69 RBI in 474 at-bats.

Some fun facts about the Orioles' Manny Machado ...

For the season, he ranks ninth at third base in Head-to-Head leagues and 10th in Rotisserie. Since July 1, however, he ranks 17th in Head-to-Head, behind Brett Wallace, a .255-hitting Pablo Sandoval and a hasn't-played-in-three-weeks David Wright, and 21st in Rotisserie, behind Juan Uribe, Donnie Murphy and Matt Dominguez. During that stretch, he's batting .240 with a .633 OPS. He has only 11 extra-base hits after having 44 previously.

No one is questioning his upside. No one would dare doubt the potential of a 21-year-old who has drawn comparisons to Alex Rodriguez. But I can't help but think Machado fooled Fantasy owners into believing he was closer to meeting that upside than he really was. His strong start to the season was mostly the product of a near record-setting doubles pace and a batting average too high for his poor plate discipline to sustain. Both numbers have since normalized.

I'm not saying I'd drop Machado, but I'd go with a hot-hand play like Brett Lawrie or Will Middlebrooks over him right now.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson connected for a two-run homer Tuesday against the Mariners. He finished 2 for 5.

Donaldson has managed two hits in three of his last four games and has at least one RBI in four straight games (seven total). He is batting .340 (16 for 47) with a .553 slugging percentage, .968 OPS, one triple, two doubles, two home runs, nine runs and 10 RBI in his last 13 games.

Orioles infielder Danny Valencia has been recalled Monday.

Valencia was sent down in early August, and didn't last long in the minors. Valencia is hitting .216/.256/.500 in 74 at-bats.