MLB Player News

The Athletics recalled Muncy from Triple-A Nashville on Monday.

Muncy has played 14 games with the A's this season, hitting .257 (9-for-35). The 25-year-old, who played mostly right field for Oakland his first time up, will join the outfield mix of Khris Davis, Jake Smolinski, Josh Reddick and Coco Crisp. Muncy probably won't see enough at-bats to be relevant in fantasy unless the A's move guys like Reddick and Danny Valencia.

Bregman will be recalled prior to Monday's game against the Yankees.

A natural shortstop, Bregman has recently seen some time at third base and in left field, possibly preparing him for a role as an everyday utility player. The 22-year-old has tallied 20 home runs and seven stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A this season, and should provide an added offensive presence to the Astros' everyday lineup moving forward. Danny Worth was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a 448-foot solo homer in Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Indians.

The veteran slugger's mammoth blast chased Indians starter Josh Tomlin to start the seventh, and was Alvarez's third homer in the last seven games. After a dreadful start to his Orioles career that saw him hitting .194 on May 28, the 29-year-old has raised his average 46 points since June 1.

Machado went 2-for-2 with a solo homer, two walks and two runs in Friday's 5-1 victory over the Indians.

The 24-year-old slugger went deep for the first time since July 5 and collected just his fifth RBI of the month. Machado has only slashed .219/.292/.328 in 64 at-bats this month, but he's still hitting .314 on the season with 20 homers and 55 RBI.

Plouffe (ribs) was doing some running and throwing out to 90 feet Friday prior to the Twins' game against the Red Sox, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports.

Plouffe has been out since July 2 with a cracked rib, but looks to be progressing in time to return to play around the first week of August. He also began to take cuts off a tee but will still need to start live hitting and take in a few games on a rehab assignment before rejoining the Twins.

Alvarez is out of the lineup Thursday, the Baltimore Sun's Eduardo Encina reports.

He'll predictably sit against lefty CC Sabathia, although he is the Orioles' only healthy bench bat Thursday so he'll likely get a pinch-hit opportunity if one arises. Alvarez has hit eight homers in just 24 games since the start of June, making him a useful option in deeper formats despite the irregular playing time.

Machado (illness) is back in action Thursday, manning third base and hitting third against the Yankees, the Baltimore Sun's Eduardo Encina reports.

He missed Wednesday's game with the ailment, but it was apparently minor, as he's back in his usual spot Thursday. Machado is having an MVP-caliber season, and should be deployed in all formats.

Donaldson went 2-for-4 with a walk, home run, three RBI and two runs in Wednesday's matinee in Arizona.

Donaldson did not have to wait very long to make his presence felt in the series finale. Just five pitches into the game, Donaldson came through with a two-run shot that made a splash landing in the pool at Chase Field. According to Statcast, the third baseman's 24th home run of the season landed a projected 412 feet away and left his bat at 109 mph. Donaldson has at least one hit in 31 of his last 36 games, with 40 RBI over that span.

Machado will miss Wednesday's game against the Yankees due to illness, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports.

This is Machado's first absence since June 22 against the Padres and he should be considered day-to-day with the illness. The 24-year-old has been in a slump since the All-Star break, going just 2-for-17 with five strikeouts in five games. Ryan Flaherty will start at third base in his place.

Bregman may get a start in left field Wednesday for Triple-A Fresno, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports.

The Astros are clearly working on ways to get Bregman comfortable all over the diamond, as he received his first Triple-A start at third base Tuesday. A shortstop by trade, he is quick and agile enough and has the instincts to handle pretty much any position other than catcher, and perhaps center field, so the Astros should have no problem squeezing him into the lineup almost every day once he receives his long awaited call-up to the big leagues.