MLB Player News

Escobar (undisclosed) is not in the lineup Friday against the Marlins, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The veteran infielder will be out of the lineup for a second consecutive game due to what manager Buck Showalter previously described as a medical "non-workplace event." It's unclear if Escobar will be available off the bench or if he's expected to be back for Saturday's contest.

Manager Buck Showalter revealed after Thursday's win over the Brewers that Escobar was unavailable due to a "non-workplace event," Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

While Showalter said that the reason for the third baseman's lack of availability was medical in nature, he couldn't elaborate much on the specifics of Escobar's absence, so it's not yet clear whether he'll be available for Friday's series opener against the Marlins. If the 33-year-old is forced to miss additional games, Jeff McNeil, Luis Guillorme and J.D. Davis would be candidates to start at third base.

Escobar isn't starting Thursday against the Brewers.

Escobar went 0-for-11 with an RBI, a walk and six strikeouts over the last three games and will get a day off during Thursday's series finale against Milwaukee. Luis Guillorme is shifting to third base while J.D. Davis serves as the designated hitter.

Hayes went 1-for-3 with a triple, a walk and a run scored Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Hayes earned a free pass in the opening inning and came around to score on a Cal Mitchell single. He hit a two-out triple four frames later -- his first of the season -- but was stranded. Hayes is hitting just .130 with a 41.7 percent strikeout rate across his last six games, though he still has two RBI and two runs scored in that span. For the season, Hayes has maintained a 111 wRC+ and also chipped in seven stolen bases with two homers.

Riley went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Nationals.

The third baseman helped Atlanta pull away in the contest with two-run blasts in the seventh and eighth innings. Riley's 18 homers on the season have him tied with Pete Alonso for the National League lead, and six of those rockets have come in June -- a month in which he's slashing .271/.338/.644 with 13 runs and 14 RBI in 14 games.

Machado went 2-for-3 with a home run, two walks, three runs and four RBI in a 19-5 victory against the Cubs on Wednesday.

Machado torched Chicago on Wednesday with singles in the first and seventh, walks in the third and fourth and a two-run homer in the fifth. The five times on base was the third such time this season for the 29-year-old, who broke out of a mini-3-for-21 slump with the excellent performance. Machado has seen his numbers dip in June, though his .322/.396/.536 line would still set new career highs nearly across the board.

Newman (groin/hamstring) has progressed in his recovery and will be considered for a rehab assignment within the next five days, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old has been participating in all baseball activities without pain for at least a week, and he's now on the cusp of a minor-league rehab assignment. Newman was on the injured list for a month with the groin injury when he suffered a hamstring injury in late May, so he'll likely require at least a handful of games in the minors to get back up to speed.

The Cubs placed Madrigal on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a left groin strain, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Madrigal will head to the injured list for the second time this season after previously missing time in May due to back tightness. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 first-year player draft missed the entire second half of the 2021 campaign while recovering from hamstring surgery, so the Cubs have received just 115 plate appearances since he was acquired from the White Sox at last year's trade deadline. While Madrigal is on the shelf, Jonathan Villar looks to be first in line for reps at second base.

Davis isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Brewers.

Davis recently drew four consecutive starts and went 6-for-15 with a homer, four runs, a walk and five strikeouts during that time. However, he'll be out of the lineup for a second consecutive game while Eduardo Escobar serves as the designated hitter with Luis Guillorme starting at third base.

Farmer was scratched from Wednesday's lineup against Arizona for rest purposes, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Farmer was working out prior to Wednesday's matchup but was removed from the lineup approximately an hour before the start of the game. However, the Reds said that he's fine and is simply out of the lineup for rest purposes. It seems likely that he'll be available off the bench during Wednesday's series finale against the Diamondbacks. Matt Reynolds will shift to shortstop and bat third while Albert Almora enters the lineup in left field.