MLB Player News

Alvarez was placed on the bereavement list prior to Monday's matchup against the Dodgers.

Alvarez will be away from the team for a few days in order to attend to a family matter back in the Dominican Republic. While Alvarez is away, manager Buck Showalter will need to find another DH option against right-handed pitchers. One likely scenario would be Matt Wieters serving as the DH, while the recently reinstated Caleb Joseph takes reps at catcher.

Plouffe, who was placed on the 15-day DL earlier Monday, is expected to miss three-to-four weeks due to a cracked left rib, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports.

Manager Paul Molitor indicated that timetable isn't necessarily firm, and considering Plouffe's personal history, it wouldn't be a surprised if he ended up missing more than a month. The third baseman said Monday that he's been only about 65 or 70 percent healthy all season while contending with multiple injuries, and with the Twins unlikely to make a serious run at playoff contention, it may make sense for the organization to give him some extra time off to fully recover from the injury. While Plouffe remains sidelined, Eduardo Nunez, Miguel Sano and Eduardo Escobar (hamstring) are all candidates to pick up extra at-bats at the hot corner.

Escobar (hamstring) remains out of the lineup Monday against the Athletics, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

With Escobar still recovering from the hamstring issue and Trevor Plouffe (ribs) landing on the DL, the Twins are starting to get a little thin on the left side of the infield. Fortunately, Escobar's injury is being viewed as a day-to-day concern, so there's optimism that he'll be able to return within a few days. In the meantime, the Twins may have to settle for some sub-optimal defense at third base, as Miguel Sano will man the position Monday afternoon.

Plouffe was diagnosed with a cracked rib and placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The Twins made Plouffe a late scratch Sunday against the Rangers due to what was labeled a case of sore ribs, but a follow-up examination revealed the corner infielder was dealing with something a little more severe. There's been no timetable given yet for Plouffe's return, but the impending All-Star break at least means he won't miss as many actual games as a normal 15-day DL placement would entail. While Plouffe remains out, Eduardo Nunez could end up seeing some more time at third base, opening up more action at shortstop for Eduardo Escobar or Danny Santana.

Donaldson went 4-for-4 with two walks, four runs scored and an RBI in Sunday's 17-1 rout of the Indians.

The reigning AL MVP has a ton of momentum as the All-Star break approaches, racking up multi-hit performances in eight of his last 12 games to push his slash line on the season to .298/.410/.583. Donaldson may be slightly off his run-producing pace from last season, but his .993 OPS is actually 54 points higher than his mark from 2015.

Plouffe will undergo an evaluation on his sore ribs Monday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Sidelined both Saturday and Sunday due to a rib concern, Plouffe will be examined thoroughly to determine whether a DL stint is needed. He's contended with the occasional injury this season, but only an intercostal strain has forced a stay on the disabled list through the first three months. If he requires more time on the pine, Miguel Sano and Eduardo Nunez would be in line for additional work at the hot corner.

Alvarez will leave the team after Sunday's game against the Mariners and will be placed on the bereavement list, MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports.

Alvarez will serve as the Orioles' DH and bat seventh in the order Sunday before taking a flight to the Dominican Republic following a death in his family. The Orioles will be able to add a player to the roster while Alvarez is away, likely until Friday. With Alvarez expected to potentially miss out on a few starts this week, he's not a strong activation in most leagues.

Plouffe was scratched from Sunday's lineup against the Rangers due to sore ribs, LaVelle Neal of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Manager Paul Molitor was looking to give regular first baseman Joe Mauer a day off with lefty Cole Hamels starting for the Rangers, but those plans were thrown out the window when Plouffe acknowledged the injury shortly before first pitch. The Twins will likely take a day-to-day view with Plouffe's injury, making it uncertain if he'll be able to return to action in Monday's series opener with the Athletics.

Escobar (hamstring) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports.

A DL stint hasn't been ruled out for Escobar after he strained his hamstring during Saturday's game, but the Twins will wait and see how he responds to treatment before any decision is made on his status. Like Escobar, fellow reserve Danny Santana offers similar defensive versatility, so the Twins should have enough depth on hand to get by if Escobar remains unavailable for a few days.

Devers went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored for High-A Salem on Saturday.

That slow opening month, when Devers hit .138 in 21 April games, had us wondering about his status as a top prospect in the organization, but the third baseman overcame his first real test of adversity. He followed up, hitting .245 in May, then .313 in June. In his last 23 games, Devers has slashed .349/.398/.488 and bumped up his season average to .246.