MLB Player News

Castro was optioned to Double-A Altoona on Monday.

Castro has been a regular starter at second base for the Pirates over the past month, but he has a .552 OPS since being promoted in late July and will head back to Double-A. The 22-year-old may need to finish the minor-league campaign strong with Altoona to have another chance at seeing playing time down the stretch for Pittsburgh.

Duffy isn't starting Monday against Colorado.

Duffy drew starts in each of the last four contests but went just 1-for-10 with an RBI and four strikeouts across his last three appearances. Andrew Romine will start at shortstop and bat eighth.

McMahon went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBI in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.

McMahon plated three runs combined over his previous 13 games, but he nearly matched that total in two at-bats Sunday. He plated the contest's first run on his career-high 23rd double of the season in the bottom of the first, then produced a run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth. Though McMahon has supplied only two home runs and 16 RBI thus far in the second half, he hasn't been a total zero for fantasy managers since the All-Star break thanks to a .299 average and .395 on-base average.

Davis went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, four RBI, a walk and a HBP in the Mets' 7-2 win over the Dodgers on Sunday.

Davis singled home a run and scored in the first inning, was hit by a pitch in the sixth, cranked a two-run homer in the seventh and walked with the bases loaded in the ninth. The third baseman has enjoyed a hot August, slashing .300/.405/.433, though the long ball was only his first of the month. Davis is making the case for regular playing time even after Francisco Lindor returns, but he'll have to compete with Javier Baez, Jeff McNeil and Jonathan Villar in a crowded infield.

Escobar (hamstring) will undergo an MRI on Sunday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Escobar was initially diagnosed with right hamstring discomfort after leaving Sunday's win over the Nationals, and the Brewers are expected to offer an update on his status Tuesday. The team isn't yet sure whether the 32-year-old will require a trip to the injured list, but his MRI should provide more clarity regarding his injury. If Escobar misses additional time, Luis Urias and Jace Peterson would be in line for increased at-bats.

Newman went 1-for-3 with a double in Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Cardinals.

His double accounted for the team's lone extra-base hit off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright. Newman is hitting just .228 overall, but he's slashing .321/.339/.571 in his last 59 plate appearances (prior to Sunday). Given the catastrophic offensive first-half performance -- he compiled a .518 OPS in his first 74 games -- the infielder has plenty of incentive to salvage his season. Still, he's hit just four homers and stolen three bases in 423 plate appearances.

Moustakas went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two strikeouts in Sunday's 3-1 win over Miami.

The infielder's skid extended to 0-for-24 before his fifth-inning solo shot in Sunday's contest. Moustakas has had a brutal season with five homers, 16 RBI, 18 runs scored and eight doubles while slashing .206/.309/.389 through 149 plate appearances. While he has a 12.1 percent walk rate and a 22.1 percent strikeout rate this year, he hasn't been able to make enough contact in 13 games since he returned from a heel injury. Moustakas is currently in a platoon with the similarly struggling Eugenio Suarez at third base.

Escobar exited Sunday's game against the Nationals with right hamstring discomfort, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Escobar was immediately removed from Sunday's game after he suffered his injury while running to first base in the bottom of the sixth inning. He'll presumably be further evaluated to determine the extent of the issue ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Reds.

Escobar was removed from Sunday's game against the Nationals with an apparent injury, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.

Escobar pulled up while running to first base to end the sixth inning, and he was replaced defensively in the top of the seventh. The specifics of the injury aren't yet known, but the 32-year-old will have at least one day to recover since the Brewers have a scheduled day off Monday. Prior to his departure, Escobar went 0-for-3 with a walk.

The Giants placed Longoria (hand) on the COVID-19-related injured list Sunday.

A sore hand kept Longoria on the bench for the Giants' previous three games, but he'll be deactivated ahead of Sunday's series finale in Oakland while he recovers from a recent COVID-19 vaccine shot, per Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News. Even though Longoria should be feeling fine in the next day or two, the Giants could choose to stash him on the IL a little while longer in the event he's still experiencing pain in his hand.