Gregory Polanco makes an uneven major league debut

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Gregory Polanco is the Pirates’ top prospect. Last night he made his big league debut. It was OK — he got himself a hit and scored a run — but overall was fairly “meh.” He popped out to shortstop in his first at-bat and lined an 0-1 fastball into left-center field for his first major league hit in the third. He finished 1 for 5. He also had a dubious defensive play, allowing Anthony Rizzo’s long drive to right-center field deflect off the heel of his glove. It was ruled a double and a run scored, but it could’ve been called an error.

Polanco, a 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic, was hitting .347/.405/.540 with seven home runs, 49 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and 47 runs scored over his first 62 games for Triple-A Indianapolis at the time of his promotion. He came to most people’s attention last month when he turned down a seven-year contract offer that would have expedited his promotion, Jon Singleton-style.

But now he’s in the bigs. And, thankfully, one game in the bigs does not a career make. This guys is gonna be good.

Anthony Rendon fan interaction video looked into by MLB

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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OAKLAND, Calif. – Major League Baseball is looking into a video circulating on social media that appears to show Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon grab a fan by the shirt through the bleacher guardrails after Thursday night’s game in Oakland, a league spokesperson said Friday.

Rendon looks to have grabbed the fan’s shirt near his chest through the bars of the railing and exchanged words with him before appearing to take a swipe at the bill of the man’s ballcap and walking into the tunnel.

Angels spokesman Adam Chodzko says the team has no comment. The Angels do not play Friday, but the club expects Rendon to address the video Saturday in the clubhouse before the game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland.

The video shows the fan, dressed in A’s colors, approach the railing as Rendon turns toward him from the tunnel walkway below. Rendon then appears to grab the man’s shirt and ask him what he just said, accusing the fan of calling him a derogatory term before swiping at his ballcap.

The A’s won the game 2-1.