MLB Player News

Padres manager Bob Melvin said Thursday that Machado (hand) could return from the injured list Friday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

"Might be (Friday)," Melvin said. "I can't confirm that." The skipper's caginess aside, Machado does seem like a good bet to return Friday as long as he checks out well pregame. He's upped his activity level over the last several days with no apparent issues and doesn't appear to be in need of a rehab assignment. The star third baseman has been sidelined since mid-May with a small fracture in his left hand.

McMahon went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Thursday's loss against the Diamondbacks.

McMahon's been on an absolute tear of late -- he's now batting .500 (15-for-30) with four home runs and eight extra-base hits over his last eight games. He's boosted his slash line to .255/.336/.475 over 226 plate appearances this season with eight homers, 29 runs scored, 31 RBI and four stolen bases.

Candelario went 2-for-3 with two walks, a home run, three RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's win over the Dodgers.

He took Noah Syndergaard deep in the fifth inning for his seventh homer of the year, but his seventh-inning steal was his first of 2023. Candelario turned things around in a big way in the second half of May, slashing .404/.485/.737 over his last 15 games with three homers and 11 RBI, and while the 29-year-old was signed in the offseason to be something of a stopgap at third base, he's proving to be a steadying force for a young Nationals infield.

Newman is in the leadoff spot again Thursday at Boston.

Newman also batted at the top of the Reds' lineup Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with a run scored. He's slashing .323/.417/.387 in 72 plate appearances since the beginning of May and has recently become Cincinnati's preferred tablesetter versus left-handed pitching opponents. Chris Sale is on the bump for the Red Sox on Thursday.

Collier is hitting .230 with a .336 OBP, four home runs and three steals in 37 games for Single-A Daytona.

Collier, who doesn't turn 19 until November, is the fourth-youngest qualified hitter at Single-A. He hasn't put up gaudy numbers, but it's impressive that he has been better than league average (107 wRC+) while keeping the strikeouts in check (22.1 K%) in his full-season debut.

Hayes went 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBI on Wednesday against the Giants.

Hayes delivered a two-RBI triple in the third inning to snap a three-game hitless streak. Even with the productive day, he's struggled mightily across his last 15 starts by hitting only .175 with a 26.6 percent strikeout rate. He's salvaged his line in that span by driving in 10 and scoring five runs. Nevertheless, Hayes has gone from the Pirates' primary leadoff hitter to regularly batting fifth or sixth.

Castro will start at second base and bat cleanup in Wednesday's game against the Giants, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Castro will be rewarded with a fourth consecutive start after he went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Tuesday's 2-1 win. However, if Carlos Santana (spine) is back in action for the team's next game Friday in St. Louis, the Pirates may not have room in the lineup for both Castro and Connor Joe, who has also noticed an uptick in playing time while Santana has been day-to-day.

Newman will start at third base and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.

As usual, the righty-hitting Newman will find himself in the lineup versus a lefty (James Paxton), but he'll be hitting higher than fifth in the order for just the second time all season. He has been swinging a hot bat of late with four multi-hit efforts in his last five contests.

Senzel (knee) is hitting seventh and playing left field versus the Red Sox on Wednesday.

Senzel was a late scratch from Tuesday's lineup due to soreness in his right knee, but he'll rejoin the starting nine just a day later. Senzel has multiple hits in three of his last seven games and has a .775 OPS during that stretch.

Longoria went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Rockies.

Longoria's first-inning home run provided all the cushion starter Zac Gallen would need. It was the veteran third baseman's seventh homer in 92 at-bats. Longoria's part-time role -- starts at 3B or DH against lefties -- puts a cap on what he can offer fantasy managers.