MLB Player News

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 7-2 win over the Cardinals Tuesday.

Longora waited until the last possible moment to deliver his blast, knocking his home run with two outs in the ninth inning. He has hit .262/.336/.400 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI in 390 at-bats.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado is out of the lineup Tuesday with tightness in his lower back, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Machado is just 1 for 10 over his last three games but is still hitting .267/.317/.422 with 10 home runs and 23 RBI in 258 at-bats. He's day-to-day with the back issue.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez was removed from Tuesday's game with a knee issue.

Alvarez left the game with left knee discomfort. He was 1 for 2, with a double, before being removed from the game. 

Royals infielder Danny Valencia was unable to return to the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox, after he was hit by a pitch on the left hand Monday. He is day to day at this point. 

Phillies third baseman Cody Asche put together a solid performance Monday, though it came ina  7-4 loss to the Giants.

Asche went 3 for 4 with three singles in the loss, just one night after he struck out in all four of his at-bats. He scored once in the loss.

Asche is hitting .256/.306/.401 in 227 at-bats on the season.  

Royals infielder Danny Valencia underwent X-rays Monday after getting hit on the left hand by a pitch but the tests came back negative, the Kansas City Star reports.

Valencia went 1 for 2 and drove in the team's only run of the the game before being removed. He has hit .295/.342/.400 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 105 at-bats.

If you're planning to start Derek Norris, Michael Morse, Aaron Hill, Nolan Arenado, Brad Miller or Desmond Jennings in Fantasy Week 17 (July 21-27), you might want to read the latest Start and Sit Hitters.

All are considered "sits" for the upcoming scoring period.

In order to keep Arismendy Alcantara on the roster, the Cubs might be faced with a difficult decision to to demote outfielder Junior Lake or infielder Mike Olt, who are both struggling offensively, to Triple-A Iowa, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

"I don’t want to speculate on any of that," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said Saturday. "They’ve been working hard. They stay positive, and they’ve been handling it extremely well. One of the things I try to talk to them about is not to focus so much on the results. I want them to focus on the at-bat."

The Phillies feel third baseman Cody Asche could make the switch to another position once prospect Maikel Franco is ready to take over at the hot corner. However, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said the team isn't at that crossroad yet since they don't see Franco as being ready for the majors, per The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"He could," Amaro Jr. said of a position switch for Asche. "He's athletic enough. But there is not anyone pushing him right now. Maikel isn't pushing him."

Twins infielder Trevor Plouffe was the team's only batter to make an impact Friday, in a 6-2 loss to the Rays.

Plouffe had just one hit in the game, as he slugged a third-inning two-run home run post the team's first and only runs on the board. He finished the game 1 for 4 overall with a run scored and a strikeout.

Plouffe has seven home runs and 44 RBI on the season, while hitting .245/.317/.417 in 78 games.