MLB Player News

Bregman is out of the lineup Sunday against the Athletics.

According to Kaplan, it's strictly a rest day for Bregman, who has come out of the gate a bit sluggishly this season with a .250/.340/.310 batting line across 98 plate appearances. Manager A.J. Hinch attributed some of Bregman's early struggles to the youngster's unorthodox spring training schedule due to the World Baseball Classic, but the Astros remain optimistic he'll heat up before long. Marwin Gonzalez will spell Bregman at third base Sunday.

Plouffe will start at third base and bat second in the order Sunday against the Astros.

The Athletics are purging their lineup of most of their left-handed hitters, so Plouffe will benefit from a promotion up in the batting order against Astros southpaw Dallas Keuchel. Over 24 at-bats against lefties this season, Plouffe has batted .250 with one RBI.

Valencia is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians, Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

With Valencia sitting out for the fourth time in seven games, it appears safe to conclude that he's fallen into the shorter end of a platoon at first base with rookie Dan Vogelbach. The veteran is probably worth stashing in AL-only formats in the event Vogelbach struggles to produce and eventually is sent back to the minors, but those in most mixed formats can probably cut bait with Valencia for now. Valencia has slashed just .181/.259/.306 over 81 plate appearances and will likely see most of his opportunities against left-handed pitching for the time being.

Bregman batted ninth for the first time in his brief career Saturday, going 1-for-3 in Houston's 2-1 loss to Oakland.

Bregman has made the slide from second to sixth and now ninth in the order, which suggests he's not performing well, but that's really not the case. He's hit safely in 18 of the 24 games played and is 9-for-20 with runners in scoring position, including 5-for-9 with two outs. Bregman has good plate discipline and puts together good at-bats, but his .060 ISO isn't worthy of a middle-of-the-order placement.

Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a two-run double during Saturday's win over Seattle.

The two-RBI showing has Ramirez just a single tally back of the American League lead, and alongside his six home runs and .333/.388/.609 slash line, it's been a monster start for the 24-year-old. He's stolen just two bases in four attempts, and while he may fall short of last season's 22 stolen bases, Ramirez's ability to tilt the scales across all five rotisserie categories is extremely valuable. His eligibility at multiple position is another significant fantasy boost.

Donaldson (calf) took batting practice on the field before Saturday's game against the Rays.

Donaldson will head to Florida on Sunday to continue his rehab process after taking batting practice with no issues. Although the 31-year-old remains without a set return date, he is nearing the halfway point of his proposed two-to-four-week timetable, so a possible rehab assignment doesn't appear too far behind. Donaldson remains hopeful for a return in May, though more should be known about his possible return date as he continues to ramp up his rehab in Florida.

Reyes was placed on the 7-day DL at High-A Frederick on Saturday with a right hand injury, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports.

The 20-year-old third baseman is hitting .321/.361/.436 with one home run and an 18:4 K:BB in 83 plate appearances in his second tour of the Carolina League. He has exciting raw power from the right side and appeared to be well on his way to reestablishing himself as one of the more intriguing power hitters in the lower levels of the minors prior to the injury.

Machado went 3-for-5 with a walk, a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in a 14-11 extra-inning loss to the Yankees on Friday.

It was only a matter of time until Machado busted out of his early-season funk, and right on cue he's now slashing .333/.438/.630 with two homers and five RBI over his last seven games.

Asche is not in the lineup Friday against the Tigers.

Asche will head to the bench for the fifth consecutive game as the Tigers send southpaw Matt Boyd out to the mound. The 26-year-old is off to a brutal start offensively, batting just .057 to start the season, so his absence from the lineup isn't all too surprising.

Alvarez is having a hard time learning to play the outfield at Triple-A Norfolk, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Not one of Alvarez's 851 career MLB games was spent in the outfield, but the Orioles are willing to ride out the experiment this year. However, the real question is whether or not the 30-year-old is prepared to stick with it. Alvarez, who has an opt-out clause in his contract for next month, could understandably decide to look elsewhere for work -- or possibly hang the cleats up altogether.