MLB Player News

Phillies third baseman Michael Young's name has come up plenty in trade rumors. His status definitely could have an impact on third-base prospect Cody Asche, who is enjoying a strong campaign for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Asche, who is ranked by MLB.com as the Phillies' ninth-best prospect, is batting .288 with a .453 slugging percentage and .802 OPS in 93 games. He has four triples, 10 home runs, 11 stolen bases, 21 doubles and 56 RBI. He's committed 11 errors and has a .955 fielding percentage.

The Phillies are still trying to decide whether to be sellers at the July 31 trade deadline. If they still want to make a run at the postseason, they would likely keep Young for his veteran presence in the clubhouse. If he is dealt, then it opens the door for Asche's arrival.

Though if Young is dealt, I would personally like to see the Phillies promote Maikel Franco, who is at Double-A Reading. Franco has the higher upside than Asche and is having a monster year. If the Phillies put up the white flag, why not give Franco a taste of the majors before he competes for a roster spot next spring?

Major-league sources said the Rangers are believed to be offering infield prospect Mike Olt as part of a deal to acquire Cubs starting pitcher Matt Garza, reports CSN Chicago. However, Olt has dealt with vision problems in 2013 and several scouts are wary of making Olt the centerpiece to the trade.

It shouldn't be overly surprising Rockies rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado has better numbers at Coors Field than on the road. His numbers on the road took a big hit right before the All-Star break, too, as Arenado hit .125 (4 for 32) with no extra-base hits and one RBI during a 10-game road trip to Arizona, San Diego and Los Angeles.

It should be noted that this was the second, and in some cases a third time, the Diamondbacks, Padres and Dodgers were getting a look at the rookie third baseman, so no doubt they had better scouting reports. It's now up to Arenado, who is batting .244, to turn the table on the opposition and start living up to his immense potential.

Should Fantasy owners give up on the rookie third baseman? Depends on your format. If you can afford to stash Arenado as he experiences the ups and downs of being a rookie, then he's worth a bench spot. If you are in a shallow format, then it's forseeable to envision dropping Arenado as we wait for his breakout run.

The Nationals are getting quality production out of Anthony Rendon and Wilson Ramos at the bottom of the lineup, and they feel it has given them an added advantage, according to MASNsports.com.

"There's no question about it," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "And that creates a lot of opportunities for the guys in the front of the lineup. They've been swinging the heck out of it and (if) we keep them healthy, we'll be fine."

The duo combined to go 4 for 8 (.500) with two home runs, two RBI and one double during Wednesday's 5-1 win at Philadelphia. Rendon is batting .317 with a .460 slugging percentage in 19 games batting seventh, while Ramos -- who hits eighth -- is batting .450 (9 for 20) with two doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in six games (five starts) since coming off the disabled list.

"There's really no break one-through-eight," third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "It's hard for the opposing pitcher to get through that lineup, and just when you think you have a break, you have guys in the seven-, eight-spot who can hurt you, too."

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez made an impact without going deep Wednesday, as he extended his hitting streak to eight games in a 5-0 win over the Athletics.

Alvarez went 2 for 4 with two RBI in the game, both of which came on singles early in the game. He is now hitting .253 on the season, up from just .239 at the start of his eight-game hitting streak. He is hitting .363 during this streak, with three home runs and seven RBI.  

Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon homered for the third time in eight games Wednesday against the Phillies, as he continues to get more comfortable at the major-league level.

Rendon went 2 for 4 in the game with a double and a home run, his second game with multiple extra-base hits. He drove in one run with his solo homer, while scoring twice in a 5-1 win.

Rendon is now back over .300 on the season, at .303 to be exact. He has four home runs and 13 RBI in 152 at-bats, while posting an .814 OPS. 

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura went 3 for 3 with one run, one RBI and his 27th stolen base in his team's 4-3 win over the Reds Monday. While he's slowed down since a fantastic start, Segura has a .323/.358/.491 line with 11 home runs and 36 RBI in 350 at-bats.

Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon clubbed his third home run Sunday against the Padres.

In the bottom of the third inning, Rendon hit a two-run shot to left field. He also singled in the game, driving in another run. He finished 2 for 5, with two runs scored and three RBI. After struggling to hit for power early, Rendon managed to hit two home runs last week. 

He's hitting .303/.353/.444 in 142 at-bats. 

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura had two hits and a pair of stolen bases in Thursday's loss to the Nationals.

Segura finished 2 for 3 with two singles, a walk and two runs scored. He has 26 steals and his batting line is .323/.359/.497.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez continued to produce Wednesday, as he slugged his 21st home run of the season in a  6-5 win over the Phillies.

Alvarez drove in three with his fifth-inning homer off John Lannan, just his third off a left-handed pitcher this season. He finished the game 2 for 4 with one run scored and three driven in, while striking out twice.

Alvarez has hit 11 of his 21 home runs since June 1, with five of them coming in his last 11 games. He ranks third in the National League in home runs and sixth in RBI, with 56.