Opinion

When you write about the Houston Astros' Jose Altuve, it's customary to bone up on synonyms for "short:" diminutive, small-statured, pint-sized.

You know what, though? Forget that.

Larger than life.

It's a worn-out bromide that gets tossed around far too liberally. Life is pretty large, after all.

It has always applied to Prince Fielder, though, from the moment he swung onto the scene with his bulky physique, MLB pedigree and a hack built to bash baseballs.

Now, unfortunately, we can apply another overused-but-apt label to Fielder: done before his time.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal broke the news Tuesday:

There weren’t many who thought Dylan Bundy could substantially contribute to the Baltimore Orioles this season. And that list of people included the organization and Bundy himself.

It can be dangerous to buy into the hype whenever a top baseball prospect begins his major league journey. There's a long list of examples to vouch for how potential doesn't always pan out.

And then there are guys like Corey Seager.

In Saturday's 7-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper struck out three times and exited after the sixth inning with a stiff neck, per Chelsea Janes of the

Eventually, something is going to tip the scales in the American League East—the most hotly contested and intriguing division in baseball.

Manny Machado might be that something.

What should be a "proud" day, as Alex Rodriguez said, isn't.

What should be a celebratory time...well, the balloons are flat.

Few men leave this game dragging a legacy as complicated as A-Rod, and one enormous foundational piece of his legacy is this: He took far more from the game of baseball than he ever gave.

The man drilled 696 career home runs, but his mountain of baggage ascends even higher.

It's finally time to admit something that's been increasingly apparent for five seasons now: Tim Lincecum is done as a major league starting pitcher.

For much of the season, the leadoff spot has been a barren wasteland for the Washington Nationals. 

Consider rookie Trea Turner an oasis in the nation's capital.

We're in small-sample territory, but after going 2-for-4 with a home run in Friday's 5-1 win over the San Francisco Giants, Turner is hitting .321 with an .896 OPS in 20 games for the Nats.

To baseball fans east of the Mississippi River, San Francisco is a place where luck strikes in even years and baseballs splash into McCovey Cove.