MLB Player News

Bregman went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Friday's 13-3 loss to the Mariners.

The 2017 season has been a challenge for Bregman, who continually adjusts as pitchers develop a plan for him. As such, his batting average has fluctuated between .245 and .265 over the last two months. However, the young third baseman has made more of an impact with his bat since the middle of May. Bregman was homerless with eight RBI and a .716 OPS over the first 35 games. Since then, he's slugged eight home runs with 18 RBI and an .820 OPS over 36 games.

Donaldson (knee) will start at third base Friday against the Royals, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reports.

Donaldson was scratched from Thursday's lineup with left knee soreness, but is seemingly good to go after getting a pass from the trainers Friday. The third baseman will be hitting third in the order for the series opener.

Chapman (knee) will spend one more night in the hospital before being discharged, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chapman is making good progress from a knee infection but will not be eligible to return until the end of next week. Barring any setbacks, Chapman should continue to be a key name in A's lineup moving forward.

Manager Kevin Cash said Duffy underwent an operation to remove a calcium deposit from his injured heel this week, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Trainers believe this is what was causing Duffy's lingering heel pain, though only time will tell as to the effectiveness of the procedure. The veteran infielder was moved to the 60-day DL earlier this month, an indication he may not be back until after the All-Star break at the earliest. Taylor Featherston will continue seeing playing time in his absence.

Ramirez is not in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Twins.

Ramirez hasn't had a day off since May 21 and is riding a 10-game hitting streak, so this appears to be a routine day off for the 24-year-old. Erik Gonzalez will man the hot corner in his stead.

Valencia went 2-for-2 with two walks and a run in Thursday's 9-6 win over the Tigers.

Although he was overshadowed by teammate Robinson Cano's spectacular night, Valencia was a thorn in the side of Tigers pitching in his own right. The veteran infielder came through with his first multi-hit effort since June 14 and also crossed the plate for the 14th time during the month. Despite being a tad behind the pace he set in May, Valencia's June line remains a solid .284/.337/.432, which includes an impressive 18 RBI.

Devers has been joined at Double-A Portland by Michael Chavis who was promoted from High-A Salem on Thursday, Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reports.

The addition of Chavis means the Sea Dogs are now home to Boston's top two third base prospects, which likely means Devers will be headed to Triple-A Pawtucket soon. According to Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com, a source confirmed that Devers will not be promoted right now. Between third base and designated hitter, the two can co-exist on the same team for the time being.

Donaldson (knee) is looking to play Friday for the series opener against the Royals, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

Donaldson stated that he didn't believe this was a serious injury and it stemmed from hitting his knee on the concrete while stretching earlier this week. He has dealt with the swelling in the past couple games before getting scratched from the lineup for Thursday's contest. Donaldson is day-to-day for now, but is basically a 50/50 decision for Friday.

Plouffe went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Reds.

The round tripper was Plouffe's first in his three games with the Rays, and he's now notched one hit in each of his contests in a Tampa uniform. The 31-year-old's prevailing problem this season has been his strikeout rate, as it's ballooned to a 28 percent figure that is his highest since his initial cup of coffee with the Twins back in 2010. He's whiffed only once over a modest sample of 12 plate appearances in his new digs, however, so perhaps the change of scenery will bring about some success at the plate.

Chapman is in the hospital receiving an antibiotic IV for the cellulitis in his left knee, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He's expected to be discharged Friday, and the Athletics believe he'll likely return from the 10-day disabled list when eligible.

The third baseman was just getting a clear opportunity at playing time before a knee infection halted him. The medical treatment seems to be working, though, and barring a setback, Chapman should keep only a normal DL stay.