MLB Player News

Rockies rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado managed an RBI for a third straight game and hit safely for the 10th time in 11 games Sunday against the Phillies. Arenado is batting .396 (19 for 48) with one home run, two triples, four doubles, six runs and seven RBI in his last 11 games.

Arenado's batting average has risen from .221 to .268 during his recent 11-game run. Prior to his hot streak, Arenado hit .190 (19 for 100) over a 28-game stretch from May 7-June 4, which dropped his average from .323 to .221.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson entered Sunday's game against the Mariners mired in a 2-for-25 slump in his previous six games, which dropped his average from .329 to .305. His performance Sunday, however, could signal Donaldson is ready to snap out of his mini-slide.

Donaldson doubled, hit a solo home run and scored twice in a 10-2 rout of Seattle. Donaldson hit his second June home run and compiled his fifth multi-hit game this month. Donaldson is batting .254 (15 for 59) with two doubles and 10 RBI in 14 June games.

Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit his 15th home run of the year Sunday against the Dodgers.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Alvarez hit a three-run home run on the sixth pitch of his at-bat against Zack Greinke. Alvarez is now hitting .213/.283/.454 in 207 at-bats.

Nationals rookie Anthony Rendon continued his offensive surge Sunday at Cleveland, producing a second straight three-hit performance and extending his hitting streak to 10 games, dating back to May 2. Rendon had his seventh double Sunday.

Rendon is batting .461 (18 for 39) with one home run, five RBI, six runs and six doubles during his 10-game hitting streak. He has obviously hit safely in all nine games since his recall in early June.

Nationals rookie Anthony Rendon said Sunday he's getting more comfortable playing second base and is learning the nuances of the position from hitting coach Rick Eckstein, who is one of two infield coaches for Washington.

"It has been working great. I'm trying to get feedback from anybody that could help me out," Rendon said, per MLB.com. "You never stop learning from this game. That's the crazy thing. I'm trying to do too much. I'm just trying to make the plays."

Eckstein said Rendon has done a nice job transitioning from third base to second base, but he's still learning the position. He's committed two errors in eight games at second base.

"He just has to be out there and play," Eckstein said. "The other day, we had a situation where there was a potential play at the plate, and he wanted to make sure he was in the right spot. We confirmed to him that he was in the right spot. We want to make sure he is backing up the right way, and him and [shortstop Ian Desmond] work together. The more he is out there, the more he is going to learn."

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado had another multiple-hit game Saturday night against Boston. It was his fourth straight multi-hit contest and it extended his current hitting streak to 13 games.

Machado has gone 18 for 57 (.316) over that stretch with six doubles, six RBI and seven runs scored. The doubles are what are setting Machado apart this season. Machado is leading the majors by a wide margin in doubles with 31. 

His 30 doubles over his first 68 games played this season put him in some very rare company. Machado's 30 doubles over his first 68 games are the most by any player under the age of 22 since 1920. That tops Ted Williams' 25 in 1939 and Joe DiMaggio's 24 in 1936. Machado is currently on pace to shatter the major league record for doubles in a season. 

Machado leads the major leagues in hits with 97 as Miguel Cabrera's 92 are second. He has 36 RBI and a .324 batting average to go with it. 

Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon hit his first major-league home run in the ninth inning to lift his club to a 7-6 win over the Indians Saturday night.

The rookie homered off Vinnie Pestano to break a 6-6 tie. He fell a triple shy of the cycle as he finished 3 for 5 with two runs scored and a RBI. He is hitting .333 with six RBI in 57 at-bats in the majors.

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe fell a triple shy of the cycle as he homered, doubled and drove home three runs in his first game back from the disabled list Saturday against the Tigers.

Plouffe hit a two-run home run in the fourth and singled in a run in the seventh inning. He finished 3 for 3 with a walk, two runs scored and three RBI in a 6-3 victory. He's hitting .270 with five homers and 20 RBI in 137 at-bats.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson (hamstring) returned to the lineup Saturday against the Mariners. He was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in a 4-0 loss.

Donaldson 1 for his last 21. He is hitting .305 with nine home runs and 42 RBI in 68 games.

Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson returned to the lineup Saturday against the Mariners. Donaldson said Friday that his injured hamstring feels better and that he was ready to return. 

Donaldson enters with just one hit over his last four games spanning 17 at-bats.