MLB Player News

Marte is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.

It's the second straight game on the bench for Marte, who has a .177/.231/.281 slash line and 30.8 percent strikeout rate in 104 plate appearances since returning from his 80-game PED suspension in late June. Santiago Espinal will receive another start at third base Friday and could continue to cut into Marte's playing time after finishing July with a 1.184 OPS in 16 games.

Riley went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's win over the Marlins.

The third baseman got Atlanta on the board by taking Max Meyer deep in the first inning. Riley is coming off a strong July that saw him slash .280/.324/.527 with five homers and 14 RBI in 24 games, but with only 15 long balls on the year, he'll need to stay hot down the stretch to reach 30 for a fourth straight season.

Vientos went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's loss to the Twins.

The third baseman gave the Mets an early, if temporary, lead when he took Pablo Lopez deep in the second inning. Vientos has gone yard in back-to-back games and four times in the last eight contests, boosting his slash line on the season to .286/.341/.563 with 16 homers and 42 RBI in 246 plate appearances.

Burger went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's 6-2 win over Tampa Bay.

Burger put the Marlins ahead for good in the third inning Wednesday, cranking a 423-foot, two-run shot off a Taj Bradley two-strike pitch to put Miami ahead 4-2. The 28-year-old Burger has been heating up at the plate -- he's homered in back-to-back games while going 7-for-20 with three long balls in his last five contests. Overall, Burger is slashing .235/.282/.416 through 351 plate appearances this year with 15 homers, 42 RBI and 38 runs scored.

Espinal started at third base and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 13-4 loss to the Cubs.

Espinal and his smoldering bat made a fourth consecutive start. He's hit in all four games, going 8-for-14 with three doubles, a home run, three RBI and two additional runs. The month of July was Espinal's best of the season; the utility infielder slashed .432/.457/.727 with three homers and eight RBI over 16 games.

Paredes went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds.

After going 0-for-4 in his Chicago debut Tuesday, Paredes got things going Wednesday. The former Cubs prospect batted second, in between Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. It's a good spot for sustained production, and after recording a career-best 31 home runs and 98 RBI a season ago, Paredes could be in line for a strong finish to the year with his new team.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Muncy (oblique) "crossed a hurdle" after visiting a chiropractor and is scheduled to start taking swings Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The 33-year-old has been sidelined since mid-May due to the oblique strain, as his rehab program has been stalled multiple times due to lingering soreness. Muncy may have now finally turned a corner, but he'll likely need to ramp up his baseball work with no further issues to have a chance of rejoining the Dodgers in August.

Marte is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

Now more than a month removed from returning to the Cincinnati lineup June 27 after completing his 80-game suspension to begin the season, Marte still has yet to get going at the plate. He enters Wednesday's contest with a .177/.223/.281 slash line and a 31.1 percent strikeout rate over 103 plate appearances. The Reds still seem committed to Marte as their everyday third baseman, but with the 22-year-old hitting the bench for the second time in the last four games, his leash may be getting shorter.

Bride went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Rays.

Bride got Miami on the board in the second inning with a solo shot off Taj Bradley, his first homer in 17 games this season. The 28-year-old Bride has started four straight games for the Marlins, alternating between first and third base, and he should be in line for a regular role following Josh Bell's trade to the Diamondbacks. Overall, Bride's slashing .268/.326/.390 across 46 plate appearances this year with seven RBI and three runs scored after batting just .170 with a .491 OPS in 40 games with Oakland last season.

Lipscomb is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game in Arizona, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Lipscomb will take a seat while he's managed a lowly .406 OPS thus far in July. Ildemaro Vargas will fill in for him at third base as the Nationals try to avoid a sweep.