MLB Player News

Donaldson went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer in Friday's 9-3 victory over the Twins.

The 30-year-old has endured a forgettable stretch at the plate, with Friday's long ball marking his first home run since May 1. It was only Donaldson's second multi-hit game of May, and his slash line for the month is just.197/.305/.324.

Moustakas (thumb) is back in the lineup Saturday, batting second and playing third base.

The Royals will get their regular third baseman back Saturday after Moustakas missed the minimum 15 days on the DL due to a fractured thumb. His return will effectively negate Cheslor Cuthbert's role on the active roster for the time being. No corresponding move has been made following Moustakas' activation.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, three runs and a walk against the Angels on Friday.

Machado's 12th home run of the season came in the first inning, and he later scored the run that would put the Orioles ahead for good in the seventh. His multi-hit effort broke a 2-for-24 slump, though he's still slashing .323/.383/1.024 this year.

Alvarez is out of the lineup Friday against the Angels, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports.

With lefty Hector Santiago on the mound for the Halos, the Orioles will flood the lineup with right-handed hitters. It's been a rough go for Alvarez so far with Baltimore, as he got off to a really slow start and has just three hits in his last 18 at-bats, with zero home runs and two RBI.

Moustakas (thumb) is on track to rejoin the Royals on Saturday, MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan reports.

Moustakas went 2-for-8 with an RBI over his first two rehab games with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, and it appears he will play another game with the Double-A squad Friday night. If all goes well, he will likely be called up Saturday and resume his role as the Royals' regular third baseman.

Bregman hit his 10th home run of the season during Double-A Corpus Christi's 8-4 win over San Antonio on Thursday. He has as many homers as strikeouts this season.

Bregman has been remarkable for the Hooks, hitting .333 with a .433 OBP and 1.139 OPS through 27 games. The 22-year-old has only appeared in a few games at third base -- a position the Astros have been lacking offensive production from -- but if he keeps raking like this, the team may have no choice but to promote him.

Davis went 4-for-5 with three home runs and five RBI Thursday during Double-A Corpus Christi's 8-4 win over San Antonio.

Davis endured a rough April (.526 OPS), but he's been on fire in May, going deep seven times in 15 games. After an impressive season in the favorable hitting environment of the California League, the 23-year-old third baseman has actually reduced his strikeout rate (24.1 percent) against Texas League pitching while maintaining a solid walk rate around 10 percent.

Escobar (hamstring) is set to begin a rehab assignment this weekend and could be activated from the DL on Monday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Escobar should return as Minnesota's starting shortstop, but Eduardo Nunez may continue to get some starts at shortstop and there's a risk Escobar may not remain an everyday player.

Valencia went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs in Wednesday's win over the Rangers.

The third baseman continued his hot streak Tuesday, raising his average to .357 through 84 at-bats. Over the last seven days, Valencia is hitting .455 with a ridiculous 1.471 OPS (which includes all six of his homers for the year). He seems to be experiencing no issues with the hamstring that landed him on the DL in April.

Donaldson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Tampa Bay.

According to the Toronto Star's Brendan Kennedy, Donaldson is simply receiving a rest day Wednesday against the Rays after having played in each of the team's first 41 games. Recent acquisition Jimmy Paredes will fill in for Donaldson at the hot corner Wednesday, but Donaldson should be expected to return to the lineup in the very near future.