MLB Player News

Duffy is starting at third base and batting fifth in Sunday's game against the Reds.

Duffy will be making his second start of the weekend series, as the Cubs have been using Kris Bryant in the outfield more frequently with Joc Pederson (wrist) on the injured list. Pederson is traveling with the team but has yet to be activated, so Duffy should continue to have some short-term fantasy value with the elevated playing time. He's slashing .275/.408/.300 through 40 at-bats this season.

Farmer is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

With Mike Moustakas recently missing time due to an illness and with Jonathan India (undisclosed) having been moved to the 10-day injured list earlier this weekend, Farmer has benefited from an uptick in work. He drew starts in the infield in four of the past five games, going 4-for-12 while reaching base at a .429 clip over that span. Though Farmer looks like the Reds' top utility infielder, he may not get the chance to play regularly at the keystone while India remains out. Nick Senzel will pick up his second start of the season at second base, and he could eventually settle in as the Reds' primary option at the position if manager David Bell wants to trot out his most potent lineup.

Senzel will start at second base and bat seventh Sunday against the Cubs.

Senzel came up through the Reds' farm system as an infielder, but he's logged more than 99 percent of his innings in the outfield since reaching the majors in 2019. However, he'll be picking up his second start at the keystone in four games as the Reds look to find a replacement for rookie Jonathan India, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday. Given that India looked overmatched over his first month in the big leagues, he could be optioned to Triple-A Louisville once activated from the IL. That could allow Senzel to settle in as the Reds' everyday second baseman while opening up a regular role in the outfield for the hot-hitting Tyler Naquin, who carries a .934 OPS into Sunday's contest.

Newman is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cardinals, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.

Newman started the past eight games and will receive a day off after going 7-for-28 with one homer, four RBI and three runs during that stretch. Erik Gonzalez will start at shortstop and bat sixth Sunday for Pittsburgh.

Arenado went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, a triple, two runs scored and three RBI in Saturday's 12-5 win over the Pirates.

The 30-year-old hasn't gone yard since April 17, a stretch of 13 games, but Arenado is still providing some thump with six extra-base hits (five doubles and a triple) over his last five contests. On the season, he's slashing a solid .274/.330/.491 with four homers and 18 RBI through 27 games.

Machado went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Giants.

Machado got San Diego off to a fast start in in the first inning Saturday, launching a 399-foot long ball to plate three runs. The homer was Machado's fourth this season and first since April 15. The veteran is slashing .240/.333/.394 with 17 RBI and five stolen bases on the campaign.

Davis was removed from Saturday's game against the Phillies with a sprained left hand, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

The 28-year-old went 1-for-3 with an RBI before being lifted due to the injury. Davis spent time on the injured list earlier this season after being hit by a pitch on the same hand, though it's unclear if he aggravated that injury Saturday or is dealing with a new issue.

Hayes (wrist) has been able to throw and run but has still yet to swing a bat, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.

Previous reports indicated that Hayes should start swinging this week. If that's to happen, it'll have to happen Sunday. Once he's able to swing without issues, however, he could be activated fairly quickly, as the Pirates expect him to travel with the team on their upcoming road trip to San Diego and Chicago, which begins Monday.

Escobar went 2-for-4 with a double, a RBI and a run scored in the 7-2 win Friday over the Rockies.

Escobar was a part of the two-out hit parade in the third inning against Jon Gray. Friday was his second two-hit game in a row and he has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games. The 32-year-old leads the Diamondbacks in home runs (7), runs (19) and OPS (.847).

Senzel went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 8-6 win over the Cubs.

The 25-year-old effectively ended Jake Arrieta's night with his fourth-inning blast, Senzel's first long ball of the season. He's been feast or famine at the plate this season, as Friday's effort was the first time he registered exactly one hit in a game, but he wraps up April hitting .254 with two steals, four RBI and 11 runs through 24 contests.