MLB Player News

Rockies third base prospect Nolan Arenado is expected to be promoted to the major leagues Sunday after third baseman Chris Nelson was designated for assignment following Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks, according to multiple sources.

Arenado is one of the top prospects in baseball, ranked as a top 100 prospect by Baseball America (No. 52) and MLB.com (No. 62). Arenado is off to a stellar start at Triple-A Colorado Springs, batting .364 with three home runs, 11 doubles and 21 RBI in 18 games.

Arenado is expected to play regularly for the Rockies.

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura was scratched from the starting lineup Saturday against the Dodgers with a split nail on his second right finger. Segura, who suffered the injury fielding ground balls during batting practice, is considered day-to-day.

He was replaced in the lineup by Blake Lalli, who started at first base while Alex Gonzalez moved to shortstop.

Segura entered Saturday's contest hitting .359/.398/.487 with a home run and six RBI over his first 78-at-bats.

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon returned to the starting lineup Saturday against Cincinnati after sitting the previous two games. Rendon, who has two hits in his first 15 at-bats with the parent club, was benched in favor of Stephen Lombardozzi as Washington attempted to kick-start its offense.

There aren't many hitters in the majors who approach Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez's streakiness.

When Alvarez is on, as he has been over the last seven games with four home runs, he can look like one of the best power hitters in the game. Even when hot, though, you can see signs of what makes Alvarez so hard to depend on, as he is hitting the ball well right now, but still has eight strikeouts in his last 24 at bats.

Fantasy owners feel pressure to get Alvarez in the lineup when he is feeling it, but it is not yet clear the Pirates feel the same way. Alvarez has been out of the starting lineup the last three times the Pirates have faced a left-handed starter. With three lefties on the way in Week 5 (April 29-May 5), even a scorching hot Alvarez may not give you the production you are looking for. Our Scott White thinks Alvarez is a risky start for Week 5 due to his matchups. 

The Nationals said prospect Anthony Rendon's first stint in the majors would last only until Ryan Zimmerman's return from the DL. Apparently, they're not even going to give him a chance to change their minds.

Rendon was out of the lineup for a second straight game Friday. By now, Zimmerman is only a week away from returning, so unless a week of irregular at-bats from an unproven commodity appeals to you, Rendon is probably a waste of a roster spot.

Obviously, he still has long-term appeal, but in single-season formats, you'll want to try your luck with Josh Donaldson, Juan Francisco or even Luis Jimenez instead.

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight game Friday against Cincinnati. Rendon, who is hitting just .133 through his first four major-league contests, has not played in either game of the series despite Washington manager Davey Johnson previously stating the 22-year-old would start every day.

"It's a little more difficult when I'm looking for somebody in the lineup to set the table, and [Rendon] is not in that category," Johnson told reporters Friday. "Nothing against his ability, but I'm trying to create a lineup that can kind of feed off itself."

Through all of the Brewers' issues this season -- multiple injuries and slumps -- manager Ron Roenicke has received consistency from an unexpected source: shortstop Jean Segura. The 23-year-old, who is in his first full major-league season, has defied his estimated time of arrival and ranks among the NL leaders with a .356 batting average (fourth) and paces the league with six stolen bases.

"He's gone beyond expectations," general manager Doug Melvin said. "When we made the deal, I'm not sure we really thought he'd be a big leaguer at this time."

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon is not in the lineup Thursday. 

The team is attempting to shake up their order, and Rendon has struggled thus far. Stephen Lombardozzi will get the start at third and bat second. 

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit his fourth home run in the last six games on Wednesday night against the Phillies. He took Antonio Bastardo deep for a solo shot in the seventh inning.

The 26-year-old also had an RBI single and finished 2 for 4 in a 5-3 win.

Alvarez has really picked up the pace of late. He is batting .348 (8 for 23) with seven RBI in his last seven contests.

With a steal in each of his last five games, the Brewers' Jean Segura has pretty much established that the stolen base will remain as much a part of his game in the majors as it was in the minors, where he stole 50 bags one year. As last year's Emilio Bonifacio owners can attest, steals alone are enough to make a player indespensible at one of the weakest positions in Fantasy.

But part of the allure of Segura is that he may be more than just a pure speedster. In fact, his steals were often overshadowed by his high batting averages in the minors, and it's pretty clear by now strikeouts aren't going to hold him back. I also like that he hit .321 over his final 24 games last year, seemingly turning the corner after a bumpy start to his major-league career.

I'll be moving Segura into my top 15 at shortstop in short order, keeping him behind Alcides Escobar for now but recognizing that he has the higher ceiling of the two.