MLB Player News

The Giants have decided to rest three key players for Sunday's series-finale agianst the Diamondbacks. 

Angel Pagan, Buster Posey and Matt Duffy are all absent from the starting lineup. Pagan has started the past 16 games, Posey the past 12 and Duffy the past 19. 

Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez is not in the lineup for Sunday's game.

After starting 14 of the last 15 games, Alvarez is replaced by Corey Hart, who bats seventh and plays first base. 

Hart is getting his fifth start of the year at the spot and first since May 16. 

Reds infielder Eugenio Suarez had a big hit in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Cubs. Suarez was the first man to bat following a 2 hour, 48 minute rain delay in the top of the sixth inning. And, with the Reds down 3-1, Suarez blasted a two-run home run to put the Reds on top for the moment. 

Suarez was appearing in just his third game with the Reds this season, filling in for the injured Zack Cozart. The home run was his first since August of last year.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado had a big night in the 9-4 win over the Yankees on Saturday. Machado went 3 for 5 with four RBI and two runs scored. In the fourth inning, he belted his 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot to give the Orioles a 4-2 lead at the time.

The three-hit effort pushed Machdo's hitting streak to a modest seven games. He's hitting .466 (14 for 30) with three home runs and seven RBI over that span. 

Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa will start at first base on Saturday, for the first time in his professional career. 

Espinosa has never played the position in 548 career MLB games and 75 games in the minors. 

Espinosa slides over from second base. Anthony Rendon replaces him, starting his third straight game at second base. 

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson extended his streak of at least two games during Friday's win over the Red Sox.

Donaldson went 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored.

In his last five games, Donaldson is hitting .478 with two home runs, five RBI and 11 hits.

Evan Longoria generally rakes against just about any pitcher. But the Rays third baseman has struggled mightily against Friday starter John Danks of the White Sox.

Longoria is batting a mere .150 (3-for-20) against Danks with no home runs and just one RBI. He is set to bat third against him Friday night.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado slammed his 10th home run of the season in his team's 6-5 win over the Red Sox on Thursday.

Machado went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored. He hit a solo shot off of Red Sox starter Wade Miley to left center in the fourth inning.

Machado, who extended his hitting streak to five games, is hitting .274 with 10 home runs and 26 RBI in 226 at-bats this season.

Indians rookie third baseman Giovanny Urshela crushed his first career home run during a 6-0 win Thursday against the Mariners. Urshela hit a two-out solo home run off Vidal Nuno in the fifth inning.

Urshela also had an RBI single in the third inning, as he finished 2 for 4 with one strikeout and two runs.

''It's very exciting, both hits,'' Urshela said, per the Associated Press. ''I was just trying to get one in one day, and I got two.''

Urshela came into Thursday's game 0 for 4 with one RBI in his first two appearances.

''You could see how happy he was,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said. ''It was genuine, pure. You don't get to see that all the time. It's once in a lifetime when you get your first major league hit, first major league home run.''

The Reds recalled infielders Chris Dominguez and Eugenio Suarez on Thursday, the team announced.

The moves were made possible after the team optioned Pedro Villarreal to the minor leagues and placed shortstop Zack Cozart on the 15-day disabled list.