MLB Player News

Rivera is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rays.

The hot-hitting Evan Longoria will start at third base and bat sixth as the Diamondbacks close out this three-game series versus Tampa Bay. Rivera showed well upon his initial call-up to the majors in late April and still holds a shiny .306 batting average on the year, but his lack of power production is preventing him from fully securing everyday at-bats.

Hayes (back) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list when first eligible July 5, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Hayes landed on the injured list Wednesday, retroactive to Sunday, because of a lower-back issue that kept him out of the Pirates' lineup since Saturday. It's not a serious concern, though, and it sounds like he will be ready to rock for the final stretch of games leading into the All-Star break. Jared Triolo is getting a brief audition at third base in Hayes' absence.

Candelario went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's win over the Mariners.

It was another productive performance for the switch-hitting third baseman, who extended his hit streak to six games with his first-inning two-bagger. Candelario has been a double machine over the last couple weeks -- nine in his last 14 contests, a stretch in which he's slashing .353/.411/.647 -- while Wednesday's stolen base was his second in as many days. He's stolen only four bags all season, but that does establish a new career high for Candelario.

Rosario (ankle) resumed his rehab assignment June 22 and has gone 4-for-17 with six RBI, three runs and a 4:6 BB:K through five games with Triple-A El Paso this season.

Rosario launched a rehab assignment June 6, but after playing that day, he took the next two weeks off before returning to game action. He's now played four games in total since restarting the rehab assignment and will likely remain with El Paso for close to the maximum 20 days before being activated from the Padres' 60-day injured list. Expect the Padres to option him to El Paso once he's activated.

Triolo went 1-for-3 Wednesday against the Padres.

Triolo was promoted Wednesday and made his first big-league start while hitting eighth in the lineup and playing third base. He got an opportunity in the majors with Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) sidelined but will likely have to split reps at third base with Rodolfo Castro. Prior to tallying his first big-league hit, Triolo maintained an .839 OPS across 159 plate appearances and a 27.7 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Sosa went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run against the Cubs in Wednesday's 8-5 win.

Sosa entered Wednesday mired in a massive June swoon during which he was batting a paltry .174 with no homers, no walks and 13 strikeouts over 46 plate appearances. For one game at least, he showed that he is still capable of contributing at the plate, as he kicked off a big offensive night for the team with a two-run shot in the second inning. Sosa's primary contributions to the Phillies are versatility and defense, and given his ugly 2:43 BB:K on the campaign, there's little reason to believe he's headed for a sudden surge at the dish.

Madrigal went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's loss to the Phillies.

With Patrick Wisdom (wrist) on the injured list, Madrigal continues to see regular playing time at third base. This was his sixth straight start at the hot corner, and he's recorded hits in all of those contests. Wisdom offers more power potential when he's able to return, but Madrigal is the better contact hitter and may be doing enough to hold onto the starting job.

Arenado was pulled from Wednesday's game against the Astros with lower-back tightness, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Arenado is officially listed as day-to-day, so his injury doesn't seem to be too severe. However, it's still possible he sits out for another game to recover. The 32-year-old third baseman was 1-for-3 with a three-run homer before leaving the game.

Wisdom (wrist) was cleared Wednesday to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Wisdom had been struggling mightily at the plate before he landed on the injured list June 17 due to a sprained right wrist, so the Cubs might ask him to remain with Iowa through the weekend in an effort to get his timing back. Nick Madrigal continues to draw the majority of playing time at third base for Chicago.

Pittsburgh recalled Triolo from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Ke'Bryan Hayes will be sidelined for at least the next seven days because of a lower-back issue, giving Triolo an opportunity to impress at third base. The 25-year-old was a second-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft and had registered a .309/.412/.463 batting line with one home run and eight stolen bases through 41 games this season in the minors.