MLB Player News

Baty has a 14-game hitting streak going for Double-A Binghamton and now boasts a .282/.372/.450 slash line with seven home runs over 54 games this season.

We're still waiting for Baty to get to his considerable raw power consistently in game action, something he'll need to do to succeed at the major-league level if he's going to keep striking out at a fairly high clip (28.1 percent this year). Nonetheless, the 22-year-old third baseman is making progress. Three of his homers have come over the course of the aforementioned hitting streak, during which he's lifted his batting average by 30 points. The Mets have no need to rush him to the big leagues, so look for Baty's development path to remain slow and steady.

Muncy went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored Thursday against Cincinnati.

Muncy highlighted his performance by taking Hunter Greene yard in the fifth inning to record his fifth home of the season. However, he also managed his first multi-hit game since June 9 and his fifth of the campaign. Muncy is still hitting only .232 in 12 games since being activated from the injured list.

Longoria went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored in Thursday's 7-6 loss to Atlanta.

Longoria struggled in the middle of June while battling a hamstring injury, but he's starting to gain some traction at the plate. He's gone 5-for-15 (.333) with a pair of walks, a double and three runs scored across his last four games. If he can stay healthy, the third baseman could get rolling. He's slashing .225/.307/.422 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs scored and five doubles in 35 contests overall this year.

Hayes (shoulder) is only sore after a collision at home plate to close Thursday's game against the Cubs, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Hayes scored in dramatic fashion to win the game for Pittsburgh in the bottom of the 10th inning, but he stayed down after colliding with Willson Contreras. Despite the positive news, Hayes will be evaluated in the morning, which should provide a better idea of his availability for the team's weekend series against the Rays.

Machado (ankle) did leg exercises and played catch on the field prior to Thursday's game against the Phillies, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Cassavell further reported that Machado didn't appear to be favoring his sprained left ankle. Manager Bob Melvin offered that Machado could appear as a pinch hitter "in a few days." While the team remains optimistic that Machado will avoid a stint on the injured list, it sounds as if his return to the lineup is not imminent.

Machado (ankle) isn't starting Thursday's game against the Phillies.

While the Padres remain optimistic that Machado won't require a trip to the 10-day injured list due to his left ankle sprain, he'll remain out of the lineup for a fourth consecutive game. Sergio Alcantara is starting at third base and batting ninth.

Anderson (back) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Anderson has been sidelined since the beginning of June due to a mild disc bulge in his lumbar spine, but he ramped up his baseball activities over the last few weeks. The 29-year-old will return to game action with the minor-league club, but he'll likely require several rehab games prior to rejoining the Marlins.

Hayes is being evaluated for a left shoulder injury following Thursday's 8-7 win over the Cubs, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports. He went 1-for-5 with his third home run of the season, two RBI and two additional runs in the Pirates' victory.

Hayes appeared to jam his left shoulder while sliding into home during the bottom of the 10th inning Thursday, and a better idea of his diagnosis should be known after he's evaluated by the team doctors. If the 25-year-old is forced to miss additional time, Yu Chang and Diego Castillo are the top candidates for increased playing time at third base.

Riley is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Giants, marking his second straight absence.

According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Riley finds himself on the bench for the second day in a row not because he's dealing with an injury or an illness, but because manager Brian Snitker wants to give the 25-year-old a proper day off. That was supposed to happen Wednesday, but Riley ended up playing the final two innings of Atlanta's 4-3 win. Riley may still be available in a pinch-hitting capacity Thursday, but Snitker ideally prefers to keep him out of the field for the day.

Moustakas is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Dodgers.

The lefty-hitting Moustakas will hit the bench for the second game in a row with the Dodgers bringing a lefty (Clayton Kershaw) to the mound. Jonathan India will fill Moustakas' usual spot as the Reds' designated hitter while Matt Reynolds enters the lineup at second base.