MLB Player News

Freeman is hitting just .220/.333/.319 with three homers, two steals and a 10:18 BB:K through 35 games for Triple-A Columbus.

While no one expected Freeman to muscle up and start hitting homers in bunches, he's been utterly punchless this season. It's been particularly bad over his last 16 games, in which Freeman has managed a brutal .175/.307/.270 line with a couple home runs and no other extra-base hits. Generally considered something of a doubles machine, the 23-year-old hasn't hit a two-bagger since way back on May 19. The only positives to take away from this season so far are that Freeman has kept his strikeout rate low and that his BABIP is an unlucky .233. If he can get back to what made him successful in the lower levels of the minors, Freeman could grow into a contact-heavy starter at second base, but this season has mostly been a step backward so far.

Rivera will sit Tuesday against the Giants.

Rivera sits after starting 18 straight games at third base. His .209/.254/.313 slash line over that stretch hardly looks like that of an everyday player, so it's possible he hits the bench on a more regular basis going forward. Nicky Lopez will start at the hot corner.

Burger (hand) will sit Tuesday against the Tigers.

Burger left Monday's game against the Tigers after a pitch hit his hand. His X-rays were negative and he hasn't been diagnosed with anything worse than a bruise, but he'll nevertheless get at least one day to recover. Andrew Vaughn will serve as the designated hitter, with Adam Engel starting in right field.

Chapman (wrist) is starting at third base and hitting seventh Tuesday against the Orioles.

He missed a few games with a sore wrist but is back as expected Tuesday. Chapman is hitting .271/.370/.371 with one home run, four doubles and 17 strikeouts over his last 20 games.

Groshans is hitting .291 through 33 games for Triple-A Buffalo, but he has just a single home run and two steals.

He has just four doubles, too, so even though he's been loading up on singles, Groshans has struggled mightily to hit for extra bases. In fact, his OBP (.394) is well higher than his slugging percentage (.355). Groshans' 19:18 BB:K is terrific, but he at least showed a little bit of pop at his previous minor-league stops. A career-high 47.3 percent groundball rate can likely absorb some of the blame here, as it's hard to do much slugging when you're not elevating the ball, but Groshans isn't exactly an exit-velocity superstar either. It's hard to see him as a third baseman in the big leagues with this lack of power, but he doesn't have the defensive acumen to be an everyday shortstop (which is where he's played the majority of 2022). He has first-round pedigree and has long been a well-respected prospect, but right now Groshans isn't looking the part of a guy who's going to make a big fantasy impact.

The Athletics recalled Bride from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Multiple outlets reported Monday that Bride was headed to the big leagues, but Oakland waited until hours before Tuesday's series opener in Boston to make the transaction official. The Athletics sent infielder Kevin Smith back to Triple-A to clear room on the 26-man active roster for Bride, who has reached the majors for the first time in his career. The 26-year-old has produced a monstrous 1.024 OPS in 149 plate appearances between Las Vegas and Double-A Midland this season while seeing most of his starts as a catcher, but he could serve as more of a utility option during his stint with the Athletics. Bride has also picked up starts at first base, second base and third base in the minors this season.

Moncada went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a walk Monday against the Tigers.

It wasn't a particularly notable line, but Moncada's performance marked only the fourth time he's reached base multiple times in a game this season. Though he's appeared in only 26 contests to this point, Moncada is still hitting just .137/.188/.211 on the campaign. Moncada has slowly started to lose playing time to Jake Burger, and he will come under even more pressure once Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) is able to return.

Burger was removed from Monday's game against Tigers after being struck on the hand by a pitch, and he's been diagnosed with a bruise after X-rays came back negative, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Burger was able to finish the at-bat after it was determined he swung at the pitch he was hit by, but he was removed shortly after. He was quickly diagnosed with a bruised right hand after being sent for X-rays and will be considered day-to-day moving forward.

Chapman (wrist) took part in batting practice Monday and is expected to return to the starting lineup Tuesday against Baltimore, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Mitchell noted that Chapman looked strong during his session of batting practice, and he also stated that the third baseman will likely be available to pinch hit Monday evening if called upon. Confirmation of Chapman's return to the starting nine should come closer to first pitch Tuesday.

Donaldson's appeal of his one-game suspension was denied Monday, so he'll serve the ban Tuesday against Tampa Bay, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Donaldson's suspension was issued after he made inappropriate comments to the White Sox's Tim Anderson back on May 21. It took several weeks for his appeal to be resolved, with the third baseman hitting both the COVID-19 injured list and the regular 10-day injured list in the intervening time. Expect DJ LeMahieu to handle third base Tuesday, but Donaldson should return to the lineup for Wednesday's contest.