MLB Player News

Devers will make his first MLB start Tuesday against the Mariners, batting ninth and playing third base.

Devers sat out of Monday's contest since lefty James Paxton was throwing for the Mariners, but with a right-hander taking the hill for Seattle, the top prospect will finally be able to make his highly anticipated debut. Although he's hitting at the bottom of the order, he'll most likely move up if he shows he can hold his own against big-league pitching.

Moncada was moved up to second in the order Monday partly due to the good plate approach he's exhibited over his first four games, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Moncada's been getting deep into counts and laying off balls outside the strike zone for the most part, although that approach has not produced the desired results yet. He's just 2-for-18 with five strikeouts, including four whiffs in Monday's win over the Cubs, but manager Rick Renteria envisions the rookie batting anywhere from first to sixth.

Moustakas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI during Monday's win over Detroit.

Moustakas has now hit four homers through his past four outings and sports an active seven-game hitting streak. He's put it all together this season with a .277/.307/.568 slash line and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Devers is not in the starting lineup Monday against the Mariners, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

The top prospect wasn't expected to start this one with lefty James Paxton taking the hill for Seattle. Devers will likely begin acting on the large side of a platoon at third base, starting with Tuesday's game, when right-hander Felix Hernandez will take the hill for the opposition. On Monday night, Deven Marrero will pick up a start at the hot corner, which will likely be the case whenever a lefty is on the hill moving forward.

The Red Sox selected Devers' contract from Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.

Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski indicated after Sunday's game against the Angels that Devers would receive his long-awaited promotion to the big leagues, but the organization didn't make it official until Monday. Manager John Farrell has yet to reveal his lineup for the series opener with the Mariners, but Devers may not actually make his MLB debut until Tuesday, as left-hander James Paxton is starting for Seattle on Monday. In any event, it's expected that the 19-year-old will see the larger share of starts at third base while he remains with the big club, as he'll likely assume the strong side of a platoon with Deven Marrero. After dominating at Double-A Portland earlier this season to earn a promotion to Triple-A, Devers didn't see his production slow down during his brief stay with Pawtucket, batting .400/.447/.600 in 38 plate appearances. It would be unwise to count on him immediately thriving in his first trip to the majors, but Devers' polished, well-rounded skill set makes him a worthwhile speculative pickup in the event he surpasses expectations.

Moncada will start at second base and bat second Monday against the Cubs, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports.

Manager Rick Renteria had deployed Moncada as the No. 6 hitter in his first four games with the White Sox, with the rookie going 1-for-13 at the plate. Moncada's performance thus far hasn't warranted a move toward the top of the order, but perhaps settling in between two of the strongest bats in the White Sox's lineup, Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu, will help spark his production.

Escobar went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run during Sunday's loss to Detroit.

Escobar is expected to see more consistent playing time moving forward, which will provide a modest virtual boost. He projects to remain a low-end asset in deep settings, but regular playing time provides a nice fantasy floor. For the campaign Escobar sports a .273/.328/.441 slash line with nine homers, 32 RBI and 29 runs through 247 plate appearances.

Chapman went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a double during Sunday's win over the Mets.

Chapman also homered in Saturday's game, so the youngster's power potential is showing clear signs of translating to the highest level. He now has four homers and a .485 slugging percentage through 75 plate appearances with Oakland. There is intriguing power upside, but Chapman's 34.7 stirkeout percentage and .267 on-base percentage aren't encouraging marks, so expectations should probably remain in check.

Devers was promoted from Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com reports.

The Red Sox's top prospect advanced to Triple-A just over a week ago, but the team's management apparently liked what they saw enough to send him straight to Boston. Devers had an OPS north of .940 in both Double-A and Triple-A this season, although his defense still leaves a bit to be desired. He's expected to join the team in Seattle on Monday, although he isn't expected to slot into the starting lineup until Tuesday. Devers should settle in as the primary third baseman for Boston moving forward. No corresponding move has been made yet.

Escobar will start at third base and man the leadoff spot Sunday against the Tigers, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Though Escobar finds himself at the hot corner Sunday, it's expected that he'll see more reps at shortstop in the near future with Twins manager Paul Molitor announcing Saturday that Jorge Polanco would be removed from his everyday role at the position in order to open up more at-bats for Escobar and Ehire Adrianza, according to LaVelle E. Neal of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Thanks to his versatility, Escobar had already been seeing semi-regular at-bats at a number of different positions, but with his opportunities likely to increase, so too will his fantasy value. Escobar is hitting .275 with eight home runs and 30 RBI over 242 plate appearances this season.